Research Papers/Topics in Agricultural Science

Future distribution and life history traits of three major insect pests of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in East Africa: risk assessment in light of global warming

Abstract: Arabica coffee Coffea arabica L. is an important cash crop supporting millions of households in East Africa. However, the crop faces challenges of infestation by some insect pests that lead to substantial economic loss and lower quality of beans. The Antestia bugs, Antestiopsis spp. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and the African coffee white stem borer, Monochamus leuconotus (Pascoe) (Coleopte...

Potential Effects of Climate Change on Tritrophic Interactions in Crucifer Farming Systems of Mount Kilimanjaro and Taita Hills

Abstract: Diamondback moth (DBM) (Plutella xylostella L.), a pest of cruciferous vegetables worldwide, is resistant to major groups of insecticides, and attention has shifted to biological control using parasitoids. However, DBM and its parasitoid species have individual climatic requirements which, when not met adequately due to climate change, will potentially disrupt biological control of the pest. The response of this pest and its parasitoids to climate change at a local scale is less do...

Acoustic detection of insect pests of stored grains in Kenya

Abstract: Grain production by Kenyan farmers, an important resource for their food security, faces constant challenges from pre- and post-harvest conditions favorable to rapid growth of insect populations. Currently, Kenya must import grain to meet consumption needs; however, if losses due to insects in storage facilities could be reduced, significant reductions in grain imports could be achieved. A review of current grain resources available in Kenya indicated that its grain production has ...

Elucidating Tuta absoluta(Meyrick) invasion and enhancing itsmanagement inEastern Africa: spread, socio-ecological impacts, andpotential of a newly importedlarval parasitoid for classical bio

Abstract: Agriculture is a fundamental source of sustainable livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa and millions of people in the region rely solely on small-scale farming for their food security. However, the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) on crop production are serious, and there is no sign of this abating. Among the recent IAS that have invaded Africa in the last decade, the South American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) has been one of the most damag...

Determination Of Levels Of Some Vitamins In Amaranthus Hypochondriacus And Amaranthus Cruenthus Leaves And Grains From Selected Areas Of Kenya

Vitamin deficiencies are health hazards in some parts of Kenya. These are attributed to inadequate access to vitamin-rich foods occasioned by decline in agricultural production due to unfavourable climatic conditions, low purchasing power due to poverty, over reliance on staple foods and dependence on highly refined foods, which are poor in vitamins. Higher intake of vitamin-rich vegetables and grains can alleviate this problem. Grain amaranth (GA), which is relatively a new crop in Kenya, is...

Farmers’ Perceptions And Adoption Of Micro Catchments For Improved Establishment Of Agroforestry Trees In East Shewa Zone, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Tree planting on farms has both environmental and socioeconomic benefits. The practice of establishing trees and tree plantations is common among rural population in the dry regions of Ethiopia, who depend on livestock, trees and tree products for subsistence. Despite the importance of trees, their survival in these dry areas is low and often challenged by drought and water shortage. To address the water scarcity problem, two micro catchments specifically, micro basins and trenches w...

Sulphate And Chloride Ingress And The Effect In Selected Cements Mortar Prisms Immersed In Sea Water And Leather Industry Effluent

ABSTRACT The effect of ingress of Cl- and SO4 2- on compressive strength development and the ions diffusivity in selected Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) was investigated. The aggressive media used included sea water (SW) and waste water from leather industry (WLI). Three brands of commonly used cements of OPC in Kenya were used. Mortar prisms were prepared for each brand of cement at different water to cement ratio; (w/c) of 0.5, 0.6, 0.65 and 0.7 and allowed to cure for 28 days in a highly ...

Study Of Bioavailability Of Trace Elements In Selected Indigenous Foods And Their Potential Use On Management Of Hiv And Aids

ABSTRACT HIV infection increases nutritional demands and vulnerability to malnutrition. Malnutrition worsens the effects of HIV infection by weakening further the body’s immune system, resulting in earlier and faster progression to the end stage of AIDS. Food supplementation especially with essential elements improves nutritional and clinical status of PLWHA and may delay early use of ARVs. Although high levels of essential elements have been recorded in some indigenous foods, translating p...

Assessment Of Kangemi Sewage Treatment Works Efficiency And The Impact Of The Effluent On Water Quality Of Chania River Nyeri, Kenya

ABSTRACT Sewage treatment plants (WTPs) use a combination of physical, chemical and biological processes to reduce the pollutant loads in wastewater. The treated wastewater is then either discharged to surface water or is reused. Successive stages in wastewater treatment plants reduce the quantity of suspended solids, biological contaminants, organic matter content and nutrient constituents in sewage. Changes in the properties of the effluents can occur along the treatment process leading to ...

Genotyping Sorghum Germplasm In Tanzania Using Microsatellite Markers

ABS TRACT Microsatellite markers are increasingly being used in crop plants to discriminate among genotypes and as tools in marker-assisted selection. In this study microsatellite markers were used to quantify the genetic diversity within as well as among 200 accessions sampled from sorghum germplasm collection at Tanzania National gene bank germplasm collection of sorghum. Although all methods did not provide similar description of relationships between accessions, there existed some consist...

Establishment Of Woody Savannah Species On Various Mined Substrates: Toward Rehabilitating Self Sustaining Plant Communities At Navachab Gold Mine

ABSTRACT For many years mining has been a vital component of the development of many countries. Although an important income generator, mining is one of the factors that affect biodiversity and ecosystems.There is an increase in the intensity of environmental damage caused by mining over the years, and thus an increased need to rehabilitate the disturbed ecosystems. The success of any rehabilitation project requires an ecological understanding of natural indigenous vegetation communities. Thi...

Assessment Of Mistletoe - Host Interactions In A Highland Savanna In Windhoek, Namibia

ABSTRACT Mistletoes have detrimental effects in ecosystems where they occur. Mistletoes negatively reduce the growth of the host plants and increase the chance of tree mortality. Apart from tree mortality, infected trees suffer from reduced growth and loss of vigor hence contributing to overall low productivity of hosts and resulting in changes in the structure and function of savanna communities. This study’s aim was to determine and to compare mistletoe - host interactions between the Bot...

Central Bus Terminal Port Harcourt Easy Circulation Flow

ABSTRACT  The importance of the public transit system has been growing increasingly in order to achieve smooth traffic in urban areas. One of the most used transit systems is the bus transit system. In this study, the author aims to follow two points focusing on the role of the bus transit system as public transportation. The first point is to review how to treat and to clarify the significance of the bus transit system with exclusive bus-ways in public transportation planning. The second is...

Detection Of Viruses And The Spatial And Temporal Spread Patterns Of Viral Diseases Of Cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae Spp.) In The Coastal Savannah Zone Of Ghana

ABSTRACT Cucurbits are susceptible to over 35 plant viruses; each of these viruses is capable of causing total crop failure in a poorly managed virus pathosystem. The objectives of this study were to detect the viruses that infect six cucurbit species in the coastal savannah zone of Ghana and to describe the spatial and temporal spread patterns of virus epidemics in zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) by the use of mathematical and geostatistical models. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), waterme...

Preliminary Observations Oh Milk Production Amohg The Fulanis Oil Th1 Accra Plains

a a m a 1* Sanga cow with a chronic skin disease. The two off side quarters of her udder arc useless because of mastitis, but has not been culled from the herd because of her fertility, 2* Small boys herding calves. 5. Weaning - Oanga calf with toot dangling: in front of the muzzle. k» A Sanga heifer that is infested with ticks. 5. Sanga cows switching their tails to drive off flies. 6. Calf preliminarily suckling dam before she is hand-milked. The milJeer is seen in the background ®ith the...


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