ABSTRACT Two field studies were carried out from July 2012 to February 2013 to determine the efficacy of four groups of herbicide on weed control, growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) and to investigate the influence of their residual effect on weed succession, rotation crop, soil nutrient status and microbial population at the University Farm, Legon. The experiments, laid out in randomized complete block design, consisted of four replications of eight herbicide treatments from four herb...
ABSTRACT Pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr) production in Uganda is being constrained by a diversity of factors including pineapple heart rot disease (PHRD). Information on PHRD causal pathogen is limited. Also, management options are clear. The objectives of this study were, therefore, to identify the casual pathogens causing PHRD and assess the in vitro reaction of the causal pathogens to fungicides. Pathogen isolation was done using amended corn meal agar. Macro and micro-morphological ch...
ABSTRACT A g r e e n h o u s e p o t e x p e r i m e n t w a s s e t up t o f i n d the effect of added p h o sp h o ru s on the ava ilability and u p t a k e o f P s M n a n d F e b y r i c e p l a n t u n d e r f l o o d e d conditions. Two soil s e r ie s Akuse and Amo (verti« sol and Inceptisol, re sp ectiv ely ) were used. The e x p e r i m e n t was of a s i m p l e f a c t o r i a l d e s i g n c o m p r i sing of four l e v e l s of P with and without r i c e p l an t on both soi...
ABSTRACT Biochar prepared from cocoa pod, sawdust, rice straw and husk wastes may provide new low cost technology for environmental management with emphasis on P removal from waste water to minimize eutrophication and to enhance P availability in tropical soils. To achieve this, the sorption characteristics of the biochar types would have to be understood. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the P adsorptive characteristics on four biochar types derived...
ABSTRACT Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr) is of tremendous imponance as a fruit crop in Uganda. However, production in Uganda is currently threatened by outbreaks of pineapple heart rot disease (PHRD). PHRD is the most widespread and devastating disease of pineapple in Uganda and can cause tremendous yield loss. Although, some preliminary information exists on PHRD in Uganda, the yield loss attributed to the disease bas not quantified neither is there any information on sources of resist...
Abstract Twenty yellow-, red- and purple-kernel maize accessions were collected from three regions in Ghana for the study. The objectives were to characterize the yellow-, red- and purple-kernel maize accessions in Ghana using phenotypic traits in order to determine their identity, using molecular traits for confirmation of their identity and to determine the presence of the opaque -2 gene and -carotene content of the grains as a way of assessing nutritional quality. A replicated field exp...
ABSTRACT The government of Ghana introduced the Youth-in-Agriculture Programme (YiAP) in 2009 as one of the modules of the National Youth Employment Programme. The Government through the YiAP motivates the youth to accept agriculture as their main occupation by providing the necessary inputs and services (incentives) that the youth themselves under their present condition cannot provide. This study is an analysis of determinants of participation in the YiAP in three districts in the Eastern R...
Abstract Forty-five cowpea accessions, randomly selected from cowpea germplasm from four cowpea-growing regions of Ghana, namely, Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Eastern Regions, were characterized and evaluated at the Plant Genetic Resources Unit of the Crops Research Institute at Bunso with the objective to determine the range of variability in the samples with respect to vegetative, inflorescence and fruit characters. The variability in the samples was used to initiate hybridization...
ABSTRACT Sorghum panicle architecture is a complex trait involving growth, elongation and branching pattern. The main objective of this research was to determine the genetic control of sorghum panicle architecture and its involvement in grain yield. Molecular markers associated with statistical analyses were used to identify the genomic regions or QTLs controlling quantitative traits. A population composed of 401 F4 families was derived from a cross between two contrasted parents for panic...
ABSTRACT Three experiments were conducted during the dry season from October 2001 to April 2002 at the University of Ghana Farms and the Food Research Institute, to evaluate two methods of conservation of sweet potato planting material and one method of multiplication of vines was evaluated in this study using two cultivars - Sauti and Okumkom released to farmers by the Crops Research Institute. The study was aimed at developing technology to ensure the availability of adequate quantities o...
ABSTRACT Continuous tillage of soils results in nutrient mining. It leaves the soils in very fragile conditions and therefore nutrient augmentation through the application of fertilizers has become imperative to maintain crop yields to feed the ever-growing population of Ghana. The use of organic fertilizers has its pros and cons. This study sought to determine the factors that influence the adoption of organic fertilizers, in vegetable production in Accra. Vegetable growing areas were purpo...
ABSTRACT Studies were undertaken to identify the pathogens associated with rotting of white yam (.Dioscorea rotundata var. Araba, Asana and Puna) in Ghana, to identify exportable white yam varieties with superior shelf life and to evaluate the effectiveness of lime and neem wood-ash in controlling rots in wounded yam tubers. A field survey was conducted among yam retailers and exporters in Accra. The results revealed that: a major constraint to yam production and marketing in Ghana is the hig...
ABSTRACT The mycoflora of two recently-developed maize (Zea mays L) varieties Abeleehi and Obaatanpa have been studied under varying ambient equilibrium relative humidities E R H ’s (55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90 and 95%) representative of the Ghanaian ambient conditions. The potential pathogenicity of selected contaminating fungal species (A. alutaceus, = A. ochraceus, Fusarium, moniliforme, Penicillium digitatum, Peacilomyces carneus, P. puntoni and P. varioti) was also tested under labo...
ABSTRACT Soils of the semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana are known to be moderately acid and very low in plant available phosphorus (P). These soils need to be fertilised to improve their potential for crop production. However high cost of commercial, water soluble fertilizers makes them beyond the reach of local farmers. Instead of expensive superphosphates, the use of less expensive phosphate rocks such as Togo rock phosphate (TRP), Gafsa rock phosphate (GRP) and 50% partially acidulated r...
ABSTRACT Feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of graded levels of raw and cooked turmeric rhizome meal on the performance of broiler birds. Turmeric rhizome was washed with water and divided into two batches of 40kg each. The first batch was crushed, sundried for 3 days, ground to produce raw turmeric rhizome meal and bagged. The second batch was cooked for an hour, crushed with a roller and sun-dried for 3 days. Both the raw and cooked sundried turmeric rhizomes were then gr...