Abstract Sore shin aused by Rhizoctonia solani is responsible for remarkable economic losses of up to 10% in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) seedlings grown in float beds, thereby becoming important production limiting factor of tobacco crop. Sore shin is responsible for wiry stem formation, stem lesions, root rots, root discolouration and damping off of tobacco seedlings. Tobacco production in Zimbabwe contributes about 9% GDP and is form of employment to more than 90 000 people in the country....
ABSTRACT Tobacco is an important cash crop contributing significantly to the Zimbabwean economy. However yield and quality remain very low in the small holder sector despite the availability of potentially high yielding varieties. There are various factors which contribute to lower yields some of which are poor plant spacing combinations which result in either intra specific or inter specific competition. Intra row spacing has the potential to improve yield and quality of the tobacco if prop...
ABSTRACT This research is aimed at developing a Crop Disease Detection and Control Advisory System which assists the farming community. The idea of developing the system came as a way of mitigating the problems affecting the organization that include poor and slow service delivery in FCC shops when assisting farmers or giving advice to farmers. Farmers from remote areas have to travel long distances to get assistance and be advised on how they can cure certain diseases affecting their plants...
ABSTRACT The study was carried out in Buhera District in 2013. The aim of the study was to assess the contribution of food aid on food security. The study sampled 30 households using simple random sampling who are the beneficiaries of food aid. Food aid programme is widely debated in the world and has made many people to believe that food aid has a disincentive effect while others believe it is an essential tool for agriculture and food security development. For the past decade, food aid del...
ABSTRACT Pollution of water bodies due to human activities such as industrial waste disposal is a serious challenge facing most developing countries in the world today. Thus the management and supply of freshwater to the public is compromised and the ecological integrity of these rivers is lost due to adverse impacts such as eutrophicaton with algal blooms proliferating in these rivers. This could be due to such factors as pre-treatment costs, costs of having pre-treatment plants and ineffec...
Abstract The Hombolo dam (HD), in central Tanzania, is a shallow reservoir characterized by high salinity that limits its use for human activities. The origin of the salinity, mechanisms of reaching and concentrating in the dam remain unclear. These were assessed using hydrogeochemical facies, water type evolutions and mapping. The source of HD salinity was identified to be shallow groundwater (SG) and runoff from a seasonal floodplain with NaCl-rich lithological materails, along Little Kiny...
Abstract Climate change is currently a serious threat for agriculture development and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate outlook for the 21st century, the future of maize production in Tanzania remains under threat due to more intense and frequent droughts, and more erratic rainfall patterns. Effective adaptation to these ongoing changes in climatic condition is key to securing food production and livelihoods for millions of ...
ABSTRACT The black mongoose (Galerella nigrata) (Carnivora: Herpestidae) is a diurnal predator that favours rocky habitats. It is endemic to southwest Africa. Due to its elusive behaviour, the ecology of the black mongoose has not been studied and only little ecological information is documented about this species. The general objective of this study was to determine the diet of the black mongoose from Erongo, north-central and Hobatere in northwest Namibia through a faecal analysis. Seventy...
ABSTRACT The potential of the Marama bean plant, Tylosema esculentum (Burch.) Schreiber, a drought-tolerant, bean–bearing legume, native to Southern Africa, was investigated to potentially form part of a food-based approach in rural agricultural extension programmes. Nutrient content and sensory attributes of roasted Marama beans were determined as well as the potential of the Marama plant as fodder for cattle. Chemical analyses were performed on roasted Namibia and Botswana Marama beans t...
Abstract 14 There is a dearth of scientific information on the soils of Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State in Southeastern Nigeria. This study was carried out to characterize and classify these soils with special emphasis on the identification of diagnostic B- horizons present in them. Free survey method was employed to locate the representative profiles. Ten profile pits were dug, properly studied macromorphologically, georeferenced using handheld Global Positioning System (GPS...
ABSTRACT One mechanism by which plants can mobilize organic and inorganic forms of phosphorus (P) in soils is by exudation of low molecular weight organic acids. Laboratory and field trial were carried out during 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons to study the effects of additions of organic acids ( citric, oxalic and tartaric acids) on the mobilization of phosphate of soils from Minna and Mokwa, both in Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria. For initial laboratory studies and prior to field cultiv...
ABSTRACT The broad objective of the study was to investigate the socio-economic and cultural dimensions of food security among selected ethnic groups in North Central Nigeria. Specifically, the study was designed to: determine food culture and practices of the respondents; determine the household food security status (energy availability) across ethnic groups; determine dietary diversity of the households across cultures; identify perceived constraints militating against household food secur...
ABSTRACT This study examined the marketing of poultry feeds in Anambra State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of the poultry feeds marketers; identify and describe the marketing channels for poultry feeds; describe the promotional activities adopted by these poultry feed marketers; assess the degree of market concentration among wholesalers and retailers of poultry feeds; determine the marketing margins for poultry feeds at wholesale and ...
Abstract Sixty “day old” broiler chickens were used to evaluate the growth performance, haematological parameters, organ characteristics and meat quality of broiler birds fed, pawpaw leaf meal (PLM). The birds were divided into four treatments with three replicates per treatment. Each replicate contained five birds. Broiler finisher rations were formulated in which PLM was incorporated at levels of 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.0% in the control (T1), T2, T3 and T4 diets respectively. The diets ...
ABSTRACT Twenty four (24) cross bred rabbits of both sexes, made up of twelve (12) males and twelve (12) females were used for the experiment to investigate, the growth and carcass characteristics of weaner rabbits fed four(4) dietary levels of Moringa oleifera leaf, meal (MOLM). Treatments 1, 2, 3, and 4 received 0, 10, 20, and 30% MOLM, respectively. Results obtained showed that rabbits on T3 diet achieved the highest weight gain (1600.00 ±56.27g) while T2, T4 and T1 recorded weight gains...