ABSTRACT Climate change is a major stressor that would adversely affect tropical agriculture, which is largely rainfed. Available evidence shows that associated with climate change is an increasing trend in temperature and in some locations, decline in rainfall leading to repeated droughts during the growing season. In this study, the effects of increased temperature and drought on soybean, a C3 plant, was investigated under greenhouse conditions. An understanding of how soybean would respon...
ABSTRACT Alkalinity stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses limiting rice production in irrigated systems. Alkalinity stress during seedling stage widely affects irrigated rice production of Office du Niger in Mali. The development of rice cultivars that tolerate alkalinity stress condition has been hindered by the lack of an elaborate breeding program. The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate and validate production constraints and varietal preferences of rice farmers...
ABSTRACT Studies were undertaken to obtain information on the genetics of traits related to biological nitrogen fixation in cowpea, in soils deficient in phosphorus prevailing in the humid forest zone (HFZ) of Cameroon. In this zone, farmers are not usually consulted in the development of new varieties in cowpea breeding programmes. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique through focus group discussions and questionnaire administration was used to assess farmers‟ knowledge on the role...
ABSTRACTAs the quantity of waste streams increases and grows in complexity in the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA), waste management has become a major environmental management problem in the area. This study examines the possibility of establishing municipal solid waste (MSW) composting facilities in the ATMA through the lens of economics. Using the review of literature, data analysis and economic reasoning, the study endeavours to: perform a comparative cost analysis of waste treatment m...
Abstract The potentials of aqueous seed extract and seed oil of the coral plant, Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) were evaluated as a biopesticide compared with aqueous seed extract of neem (Azadirachta. indica A. Juss) and cymethoate, (a commercially used synthetic insecticide) in the control of insect pests complex of aubergine (black beauty), Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae) both in the laboratoiy and in the field. Three major insect pests of aubergine namely, Urentius hystericellus Ri...
ABSTRACT The importance of non-traditional agricultural commodities, especially pineapple, as a major foreign exchange earner in the diversification of the economy of Ghana has long been realised. It is estimated that $5 million is added to the economy by small farmers annually from pineapple production. Despite the importance and profitability of the pineapple production and export as a good foreign export earner and an a priori expectation that increased production is directly correlated w...
ABSTRACT Solid waste management has become a daunting task for local government authorities who seem to lack the capability to deal with the escalating waste situation. Meanwhile, the design and implementation of municipal solid waste management systems require adequate analysis of existing behaviour patterns of key stakeholders, including their attitudes, perceptions, and values. The study therefore sought to investigate residents’ perceptions and attitudes towards urban solid waste manage...
ABSTRACT The dearth of up-to-date information on the Nigerian natural resources is a major hindrance to their optimal and sustainable use for national development. Remote sensing technique enables faster and more accurate acquisition of information than that of conventional approach to natural resources survey. However, their uses are yet to be fully exploited. This study was therefore designed to produce LandUse/LandCover (LULC) maps of Southwestern Nigeria using remote sensing technique an...
ABSTRACT The importance of proper solid waste disposal cannot be underestimated since the health implications of poor waste disposal impact negatively on the health of households. It was on the basis of this assertion that an evaluation was conducted into the solid waste management practices within the Asokwa Sub-Metropolis in the Kumasi Metropolitan area. The population for the study was residents of the suburbs in the sub-metropolis. A sample of 160 respondents was selected randomly from Gy...
ABSTRACT Rural household welfare remains low in Nigeria, as the traditional capital (physical, natural, human and financial) has not fully led to its improvement. There is increasing shift of attention to social capital as an element that explains household welfare. The nexus between social capital and rural household welfare in southwestern Nigeria has not been fully examined. The effect of social capital on rural household welfare in southwestern Nigeria was therefore investigated. Multis...
ABSTRACT Vegetable production in southern Ghana suffers grave setbacks from purple nutsedge infestation. Several attempts to identify effective and environmentally friendly management methods using the traditional weed research methods have so far not been successful. Hence, this study aimed at designing efficient and environmentally sound management methods by developing an ecological model of the population dynamics of purple nutsedge in vegetable fields. The study comprised three major pha...
ABSTRACT Fishermen face a lot of risk and uncertainty in their fishing operations. One way of dealing with risks and uncertainties in the fishery sector is the adoption of insurance policy. Successful implementation of insurance scheme requires the need for demand analysis. This study therefore investigated fishermen’s willingness to pay for insurance in the Western Region of Ghana. A three stage sampling procedure was used to select 300 fishers and a structured interview guide was used to ...
ABSTRACT Agricultural production by farmers continues to face many challenges. NGOs play an important role by assisting farmers to improve on their production levels and livelihoods. The study was carried out using a descriptive-con-elational survey design to examine farmers' perceptions of the effects ofNGO interventions on agriculture in Mfantsiman and KEEA municipalities in the Central Region of Ghana. Four NGOs provided services to the farmers. The results showed that most of the farmers ...
INTRODUCTION An adequate knowledge of the chemical reactions which occur when fertilizer is placed in soils is a pre-requisite to the development of sound fertilizer practices. Without such a knowledge, there is the possibility of applying either too much or too little fertilizer than is necessary with its consequent crop failure. Phosphorus is one of the major nutrient elements required by plants for growth. The role of phosphorus in plant nutrition includes its effect on cell division, flow...
ABSTRACT Most extension services are actively engaged in promoting new technologies among farmers. Resources are invested in various extensions activities, such as field days or demonstrations, and extension service may undergo considerable reorganization, such as the training and visit system (T & V) (Benor and Harrison 1977). There is a widespread need to place emphasis on monitoring the result of technology transfer and eliciting farmers feedback. Organization responsible for developing ne...