ABSTRACT Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) is primarily grown for its starch containing tuberous roots, which are a major source of dietary energy in the tropics. It is highly perishable and begins to degenerate shortly after harvest. Cassava in the fresh form contains cyanide, which is extremely toxic to humans and animals. These factors make the processing of cassava into a dry form a necessity. Processing is essential for the removal of cyanides from cassava roots. This post-harvest nece...
Abstract Three major investigations were carried out to assess the morphological traits and nodulation potential of thirteen lima bean cultivars as well as the genetic diversity of rhizobia nodulating these lima bean cultivars. Thirteen lima bean cultivars obtained from the CSIR-PGGRI and various market centres in Ghana were used. The experiment was conducted in pots filled with natural topsoil and arranged in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates at the Biotechnolog...
ABSTRACT Three experiments were conducted to evaluate cassava, a tropical root crop, as a source of energy in diets containing all vegetable protein or 5% fish meal which is a source of readily available essential amino acids required by growing chicks. The biological metabolizable energy (ME) was determined replacing part of the basal diet with the test materials (cassava meal Grades I and II combined and Grade III. Grades I and II have little of the rind and outer cover whereas Grade III co...
ABSTRACT This study reports investigation of the biodiversity of bradyrhizobia isolates that nodulate cowpea in Ghanaian soils. As a prelude, some components of nitrogen fixation of cowpea in the various soils were examined through: (1) assessment of the natural nodulation of 45 cowpea cultivars in 20 soils sampled from 5 ecozones (coastal savanna, tain forest, semi deciduous forest, forest savanna transition and guinea savanna), (2) determination of the numbers of bradyrhizobial isolates in ...
ABSTRACT This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different marinades on the quality characteristics of chevon jerky. Chevon (Hindquarter muscle) was treated with marinades containing different levels of vinegar (0, 2.5% or 5% v/v) and papain (0, 0.004g/0.04gw/v). A 3x3 factorial design which composed of nine treatments with three replicates was used. Chevon was cut into 1.5cm x 1.5cm cubes and samples were marinated for 12h and dried in an oven for 10h at a temperature of 65o...
SUMMARY Two field experiment where conducted to evaluate the performance of 142 prodigenes
ABSTRACT Smallholder farmers across major irrigation schemes in Northern Ghana especially in Golinga and Bontanga have successfully adopted the Urea Deep Placement (UDP) technology introduced some four years ago by the Feed the Future USAID Ghana Agriculture Technology Transfer (ATT) project. This is a great complement for the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) inventors of the technology and could help Ghana to boost her rice production if pragmatic measures are taken by the...
ABSTRACT There have been several efforts from both governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations to ensure adoption of open defecation free innovations in order to ensure good sanitary conditions. Studies show that there are still a large number of residents who have not adopted the innovations and continue to resort to open defecation in their respective communities. This study examined the socio-demographic factors which influence open defecation (OD) in Lawra and Nandom districts of the...
ABSTRACT This study examines the determinants of health and nutrition of children under five in Ghana using data on 2127 children and their households were drawn from the Ghana Living Standards Survey in 1987/88 (GLSS I). The study reveals that Ghanaian children of 0 to 59 months obtain 82.7 per cent of the recommended required daily allowance of calorie intake. Also, the children weighed 9.9 per cent higher than the recommended weight of 12.0 kg. It was further shown that the level of under...
ABSTRACT The study focused on malaria care seeking behaviour of farm households in general. Time and money costs of care, the impact of socio-economic factors affecting health care seeking behaviour and household choice of malaria care providers were investigated. The findings show that households appear to be more sensitive to time costs in choosing malaria care providers. The report presents direct costs and indirect costs of treating an episode of malaria and also traced malaria treatmen...
ABSTRACT The value-added along the tilapia value chain is undefined in Ghana, and as such, the benefits associated with the various costs along the chain was not fully realized. The study sought to investigate four issues: the profile of the actors and their existing linkages; assess the value-added at each stage of the value chain; determine the profitability and their determinants among the various actors in the value chain and identify and analyze the constraints facing the actors in the ...
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...