ABSTRACT Inadequate alternative sources of energy and low income engender unsustainable exploitation of the environment by the inhabitants of semi arid regions. Literature abounds on the potentials of Jatropha curcas as an alternative source of energy. This study reports the awareness and acceptability of the energy and other potentials of J. curcas in Kano state. Primary data were collected using FGDs and a set of structured questionnaire administered randomly on 1280 farmers. Information we...
ABSTRACT Low soil Nitrogen (N) and sub-optimal N fertilizer application result in low Grain Yield (GY) in maize. Genotypes with improved N-Use Efficiency (NUE) are beneficial to low-input agriculture. To facilitate the genetic improvement of tropical maize for NUE, information is required on the relative importance of N-Uptake Efficiency (NUpE) and N-Utilization Efficiency (NUtE), both components of NUE, the relationships among the gene networks in the developing cob tissue and agronomic tra...
ABSTRACT Rural population is the highest in developing countries with pathetic living condition and lack of resources to cope with ecological perturbations apart from not having social opportunities to cushion the impacts of extreme events. This paper reports the impacts of climate change on the livelihoods of forest dependent rural populations in Ondo State, a forest rich southwestern part of Nigeria, with the view to identifying possible adaptation strategies. Stratified multistage simple r...
ABSTRACT Development of empirical models provides ample prospects of exploring established mathematical theories and relationships among tree growth variables for sustainable forest management options. However, there is inadequate information on modelling growth characteristics and productivity potentials of Pinus caribaea, a pulpwood species which is now being proposed for timber production in Nigeria. Hence, models for growth characteristics and their applications in yield studies for Pinu...
ABSTRACT Forest road construction appears to be the most expensive single investment in forest operations and designing forest road to specification is a complex engineering problem involving economic, environmental and social factors. The study was carried out to assess the technical compliances to recommended land owners guide to building forest access road in a forest estate in Nigeria. The study was carried out at Ondo State Afforestation Project (OSAP) Headquarters, South West Nigeria. D...
ABSTRACT Fusarium verticillioides is a major fungal pathogen of maize causing rots in seed, root, stalk and ear; seedling blight and fumonisin mycotoxin contamination of grains. Use of chemicals is being discouraged due to its human and environmental health hazards. Information on eco-friendly control method against the pathogen is scanty. Therefore, the efficacies of selected botanicals and microbial agents as eco-friendly control against F. verticillioides were determined. Six Quality Prot...
ABSTRACT This study investigated the potential participation of Ibadan residents in the development of urban forestry initiative for environmental rehabilitation of the metropolis. Data were obtained from multi stage randomly sampled 397 residents within the five local government areas (LGAs) in Ibadan metropolis. The result revealed that 49% of the respondents claimed to have trees planted around their residences. Out of this, 83% believed that these trees provide shade for them for recreati...
ABSTRACT Aquaculture is becoming a very important source of income and a source of protein in the diets of many. Over the past few years, efforts were made by individuals and groups to venture into cage fish farming on the Volta Lake in the Asuogyaman and South Dayi districts of Ghana. However, many of these farms were not sustained. This study examined the relationship between entrepreneur and enterprise characteristics and success of small scale cage fish enterprises in the two districts. T...
Abstract Forests play many diverse and multifaceted roles in our life. However, there is an emerging nexus between forest and national security in many countries, especially within the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Contrary to the noble objectives for which they were constituted, many forest reserves have become a source of security concern both at the local and national scale. In the light of this, we examined the relationship between forest and national security in Nigeria, with a view to ...
Abstract Understanding relationships, opportunities and bottlenecks in a commodity value chain is crucial to the determination of the contribution of a commodity to economic development. The objective of the study was to Map Plantain Value Chain in order to identify the key players, their roles, value added along the chain as well as constraints. Personal Interview and Focus group discussions were used to collect primary data from the actors along the chain. Data were analyzed using descript...
ABSTRACT Despite the growing interest to promote agricultural commercialisation in Burkina Faso, the majority of smallholders are still mainly subsistence-oriented with generally low level of market supply. However, evidence on the key factors that influence agricultural commercialisation and the extent to which it affects rural poverty is still scanty. This study therefore analyses the determinants of smallholders’ market supply and the implications of agricultural commercialisation and fo...
ABTRACT This study investigates the technical performance efficiency (TPE) of twenty seven sawmills purposely selected and grouped into three classes :small1001ft3 /day based on their production capacities. 243 logs obtained from 20 species of wood sourced from Southwestern Nigeria were examined in 27 selected sawmills using the variables such as wood species, log sizes, shapes and sawkerf, which have direct impact on waste generated from sawn logs and log conversion efficiency. Whereas 135 s...
ABSTRACT Despite their importance, the forest resource base in most African countries has continued to dwindle. This continuous decline in Africa forest cover and the inability to stem the tide of deforestation indicate among other things the failure of the classically structured resource management institutions established during colonial administration. Consequently, there has been a paradigm shift in forestry practices throughout the world from the classical management approach to managing...
ABSTRACT Increasing cost of feedstuff due to competition between livestock and human necessitates research into Low-Cost Unconventional Feedstuffs (LCUF) for profitable fish farming. Almond kernel has been reported to be nutrient-rich feedstuff for livestock; however information on the potential of almond (Terminalia catappa) as a LCUF has not been well documented in aquaculture. Therefore, the use of almond kernel meal as a replacement for soybean meal in the diet of Clarias gariepinus was ...
ABSTRACT A study was carried out to investigate the dimensional properties of cement bonded particles board from wood waste of 3 urban trees common in University of Ibadan campus. The 3 wood species used for board production are Gmelina arborea, Delonix regia, and Samanea sena. The dimensional properties investigated are thickness swelling and water absorbtion.