ABSTRACT The success of any breeding programme depends to a large extent on the amount of genetic variability present in the working population at the disposal of the breeder(s). An experiment was set out to assess the genetic variability among 79 accessions of natural dura oil palm collected in Ghana and conserved at OPRI by evaluating 18 agro-morphological traits, 11 years after field planting. The 79 dura oil palms accessions were laid out in an augmented design with two checks on each blo...
ABSTRACT The development and transfer of the yam minisett technology has the potential to be the solution to the problem of unavailability and high cost of planting material (seed yam) in the yam production industry. However, the adoption of this technology by farmers in the Northern Region has been reported as quite low. This study was therefore conducted to determine the constraints to the adoption of this potentially useful technology. This survey research was undertaken in four purposivel...
ABSTRACT Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the fifth most important cereal crop of the world and second most important cereal crop grown in Africa. It is an important food and fodder crop in the semi-arid tropics of Africa, where it is used for making different kinds of food. In Ghana, it serves as a principal source of energy, protein, vitamins and mineral nutrients for the people in the Northern Regions. Having data on the existing diversity especially at the genotypic level in plant...
ABSTRACT An experiment to determine the effect of inorganic and organic fertilizers on the yield, fruit quality and soil fertility of Late Valencia (Citrus sinensi (L.) Osbeck) was carried out at the Forest and Horticultural Crops Research Centre, Kade in the semi-deciduous forest agro-ecological zone on a 13year old citrus orchard. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The experiment consisted of six treatments: (I) 9 t/ha Oil palm empty f...
ABSTRACT A comparative study was carried out into the reproductive and early life growth performance of three stocks of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) in Ghana under pond culture system at Aquaculture Research and Development Center (ARDEC) in Akosombo in the Eastern Region from January, 2009 to October, 2009. Broodstocks of C. gariepinus were collected from Kumah Farms in Kumasi (Ashanti Region), the Pacific Farms in Ashaiman (Greater Accra Region) and ARDEC at Akos...
A B S T R A C T iv Cross pheromone-mediating releaser effects between the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria gregaria, and the African migratory locust, Locusta migratoria migratorioides, were investigated in olfactometer bioassays. These were compared with responses of gregarious individuals of the two locust species to their own air-borne volatiles. Similar to previous reports, nympha1 and adult stages of S. gregaria responded strongly to their own volatiles; immature and mature adults re...
ABSTRACT Tick infestation of cattle remains one of the major constraints to cattle production in Africa. Reduction of ticks should, therefore, enhance cattle production which is critically needed to ensure economic and food security. In the current study, 59 farmers were interviewed about the types of pesticides available for routine pest control on their farms. There were different types of acaricides commercially available for use in Ghana and the addition of new types from different compan...
ABSTRACT Sorghum is a staple crop and a major source of food and energy for the World’s developing countries. However, its utilization as human food is constrained by the low availability of its proteins after wet cooking which could lead to malnutrition, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. West Africa has a great diversity of sorghum yet, its study and use for improved protein digestibility remains unexplored. To provide knowledge on the characterization of West African sorghum germplasm for...
ABSTRACT The genus Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) consists of mosquitoes that are of medical and veterinary importance. They are known to serve as vectors for several arboviruses that cause diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and zika. These arboviruses initially circulate among wild animals with transmission to humans and agriculturally important domestic animals made possible through vectors such as mosquitoes. This therefore prompts the importance and necessity for species ident...
ABSTRACT The decreasing availability and increasing cost of fishmeal have called for efforts in evaluating wide varieties of relatively lower cost ingredients that could partially or wholly replace fishmeal. The Black Soldier Fly (BSF), Hermetian illucens larvae hold potential in this regard due to their high protein and fat contents. This study was conducted at the BSF Centre of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Accra, and Aquaculture Research and Development Centre at Akosombo, to evaluat...
ABSTRACT The Builsa district is a peasant farming community. It had a problem of recurrent food shortage. The use of animal traction was one of the suggested solutions to this problem, hence its introduction in 1937. Reports suggested its low adoption. The study was to verify the veracity and the causes of the low adoption. A conceptual framework was developed. The concepts include: the farmers' sieve system, characteristics of animal traction technology and environmental influences. Adoption...
ABSTRACT The increasing rate of pest resistance, high cost and health risk in the use of insecticides have become an issue of Public concern. This research therefore was undertaken to identify and assess botanicals that are used by the farmers of Volta Region to manage S. zeamais and P. truncatus in stored maize grains. A survey conducted revealed A. indica, C. anisata, P. amarus, P. nitida, V. amygdalima , N. latifolia and M. charantia as grain protectants against stored insect pests. ...
ABSTRACT Determination of genetic variability among genotypes is highly desirable for selection towards crop improvement and production. The main objective of this study was to evaluate variability in agro-morphological and fruit quality traits in seventeen (17) hot pepper genotypes under greenhouse and field conditions. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications under greenhouse and field environments. The estimation of genetic variance under in...
ABSTRACT The study analyses the effects of intersectoral labour mobility between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors on deforestation in Ghana. It is based on annual time series data covering the period 1970—99. The study describes the basic determinants of intersectoral labour mobility and deforestation and estimates the magnitudes o f the effects of their determinants in Ghana. The empirical results show that the effects of intersectoral labour mobility between agricultural and non...
ABSTRACT In Togo, the quantity of rice produced is very low compared to the needs of the country. Farmers and consumers prefer aromatic rice. The main objective of this research was to increase the local production and supply farmers with aromatic and higher yielding varieties. It was conducted to lay the foundation of a rice breeding programme in Togo. Therefore, the research investigated farmers’ preferences and production constraints, established a germplasm collection and studied its g...