ABSTRACT This study sought to determine the adoption and disadoption of sweetpotato production and processing technologies by farmers in the South-east zone of Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: determine the level of awareness of the sweetpotato production and processing technologies among farmers in the zone; determine the extent of adoption and disadoption of the sweetpotato production and processing technologies by farmers in the zone; examine the determinants of adoption and disad...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to analyze the effects of policy on the development of Agro-based micro-enterprises in the informal sector of Bayelsa State of Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 150 microenterprises that were randomly selected. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression, Access model and the t- statistics were employed for data analysis. Among the major findings were that the agricultural micro-enterprises span the entire agricultural sector o...
Abstract This study examined the impact of fertilizer policy on crop production. The various trends in fertilizer policy reform were explored. Specifically, the fertilizer policy was studied under two policy regimes: the pre-liberalization and the liberalization periods. The first period is between 1986 and 1996, which otherwise constituted the preliberalization era while the years between 1997 and 2006 make up the second period, otherwise called the liberalization era. Secondary data on the ...
Abstract Micro-credit has been identified as a sustainable and effective poverty reduction strategy that can be employed to reallocate resources to the rural active poor. The livelihood of rural dwellers is usually characterized by low potentials. It is however believed that their access to micro – credit may improve their livelihood outcomes such as income, well-being, reduced vulnerability, food security, access to social amenities, economic expansion and employment. Also, it brings addit...
ABSTRACT A 16-week study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary protein and energy levels on the growth performance of African giant land snail (Achatina achatina). Two hundred and forty eight weeks old African giant land snails were used for the study. The snails were randomly divided into 16 groups of 15 snails each. The groups were randomly assigned to 16 diets in a 4 x 4 factorial arrangement involving four levels ((18%, 20%, 22%, and 24%) of protein and four energy levels (2....
ABSTRACT The study analyzed the performance of watermelon marketing in Enugu state, Nigeria. Watermelon has long been regarded as a minor crop in Nigeria and thus, has attracted little marketing research attention, in comparison to other major food and cash crops. The specific objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of watermelon marketers (wholesalers and retailers); describe the marketing channels of watermelon; examine the structure and conducts of watermelon market...
ABSTRACT This study examined access to formal credit by farmers’ co-operatives in Enugu State. The specific objectives were to: (i) ascertain the institutional credit guidelines which affected access to formal credit by farmers’ co-operatives in Enugu State, (ii) describe the patterns of access to credit, (iii) ascertain the extent of access to formal credit by the respondents, (iv) ascertain the factors which determined access to formal credit, (v) examine the respondents’ perceptions ...
Abstract Green house and field experiments were undertaken in this study. The green house study was done in International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, green house, while the field experiments were conducted in the Department of Soil Science, University of Nigeria, Teaching and Research Farm and Dominican Centre for Human Resources Development, Moniya-Ibadan Farm in 2008 and 2009 crop years. The green house study was a 2 x 3 x 2 factorial in completely randomized design (C...
ABSTRACT Cassava mosaic disease caused by begomoviruses is the most widespread disease of cassava in Africa. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) genetic analysis of an F1 population of cassava was carried out to identify new sources of CMD resistance. Genomic DNA extracted from parents and progeny was amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplifications were run on polyacrylamide and agarose gels. SSR marker technology was used to identify markers linked to CMD resistance via bulk seg...
ABSTRACT The study examined the Performance of Farmers’ Multipurpose Cooperative Societies (FMCS) in Enugu North Agricultural zone of Enugu State, Nigeria. Purposive and proportional sampling techniques were used to collect primary data from 30 FMCS through their chairmen. The analytical techniques involved both descriptive and inferential statistics. It was revealed that 46.7% of the cooperative had between 31 and 50 members (i.e. cooperators). About 47% of FMCS had less than N 200,000.00 ...
ABSTRACT Studies were carried out at the Department of Crop science, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) to evaluate botanicals control of diseases associated with growth and germination of Moringa seeds. Five accessions of Moringa seeds collected from Imo, Enugu, Kogi, Plateau and Kaduna states of Nigeria were used. The following experiments were carried out: seed viability test, isolation of fungal pathogens, determination of phytochemicals, in vitro control of the pathogens with six botanic...
TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION APPROVAL DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES ABSTRACT CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background of the study 1.2 Statement of the Problem 1.3 Purpose of the study 1.4 Objectives of the study 1.4.1 General objective 1.4.2 Specific objectives 1.5 Research questions 1.6 Research hypothesis 1.7 Scope of the study 1.7.1 Content scope 1.7.2 Geographical scope 1.7.3 Time scope 1.8 Significance of the Stu...
Title page Certification Declaration Dedication Acknowledgement Table of contents List ot tables Abstract CHAPTER 1 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Objectives of the study 1.2 Justification of the study CHAPTER 2 2.0 Literature review 2.1 Sarcoptic mange 2.2 Distribution 2.3 Etiology and life cycle 2.4 Epidemiology 2.5 Clinical Signs, pathogeiesis and lesions 2.6 Demodetic mange 2.7 Etiology and life cycle 2.8 Diagnosis 2.0 Treatment, controI and eradication CHAPTER 3 3.0 Materials and methods 9 3 1 ...
Abstract This research was designed to determine and compare the technical efficiency and input levels used in rice production under farmer managed irrigation systems (FMIS) and rain fed systems (RFS) in Kogi State. It also compared the effects of socioeconomic characteristics on the technical efficiency of farmers in the FMIS and RFS. Four null hypotheses were tested. The study was conducted in commercial rice producing areas of Kogi State. It adopted a multi stage purposive sampling techni...
ABSTRACT The food potentials of tigernut tubers (Cyperus esculentus) locally know as “aki awusa” in Igbo, ”aya” in Hausa and “ofio” in Yoruba were evaluated. The proximate composition of 100g of raw and processed tigernuts showed that moisture content of tigernuts ranged from 4.19 – 51.93 %, crude protein 2.61 – 10.12 %, ash 0.70 – 1.77 %, crude fibre 7.48 – 13.97 %, crude fat 10.79 – 32.06 %, and carbohydrate 22.73 – 56.85 %. Energy values ranged from 232.31- 487.15 K...