Abstract The utilization of solar incubator would proffers solution to a major constraint of power inadequacy for commercial poultry egg incubation in Nigeria. A solar powered poultry egg incubator was developed and the main components included incubating chamber, control system and solar powered system. The developed solar incubator was 610 mm × 607 mm × 1649 mm in size with a capacity for 150 eggs. This study conducted performance evaluation on the solar powered poultry egg incuba...
Abstract Selected physical properties of Afzelia africanaseeds were determined at four moisture levels: 10.60%, 12.80%, 15.20% and 18.40% wet basis (w.b). The seeds were categorized in three batches according to their weights: Batch I (2g Batch III (3.99spectively. Arithmetic and geometric mean diameters, sphericity and projected area ranged from 13.5700.43-15.8230.41mm, 12.2450.33-14.4300.39mm, 57.800.07-75.600.03% and 186.21828.42-256.03712.98mmrespectively. Unit mass, unit volume, aspec...
ABSTRACT Greenhouse is a feasible option for sustainable crop production in the regions of adverse climatic conditions. For a succe5sM greenhouse design, the selection of shape and orientation is of paramount importance. In this study, three most commonly used single span shapes of greenhouses namely even-spin, uneven-span and vinery type have be& selected for comparison. The length, width and height (at the center) are kept same for all the selected shapes. The relevance of this paper was t...
ABSTRACT The effect of poultry waste application on physicochemical and biological properties of sandy clay loam soil was investigated on a 7m X 7m plot of land. Plot was divided into four portions and 7.5kg each of broiler, cockerel and layers waste was applied to plot A, B, and C in slurry form while plot D was used as control(no application) for eight weeks with two weeks interval. After the fourth application, samples were taken from the plot for laboratory analysis. The results showed th...
Abstract: In tropical countries like Nigeria where seasonal variation in climate is usually experienced, the earth routes which usually compose of lateritic soil are not usually stable. There is an increase of moisture content during the rainy season, which tends to weaken the strength of the soil while in the dry season; the dust in such roads is a great menace to the comfort and well-being of road users and adjacent inhabitant. This study looks at the effect of lime variation on moisture co...
Abstract This study re-examined the BMN model making use of the Sigma Plot software (based on the Levenberg – Marquardt algorithm) to generate modified versions of the BMN model that are specific for Ibadan, Kano and Onne and one version which applicable across the country, correcting some perceived shortcomings of the BMN. Records of climatic variables (Solar radiation, Maximum and Minimum Temperature, Maximum and Minimum Relative Humidity and Wind speed) were collected from three Internat...
Abstract In modern greenhouses, measurements of climate conditions are required to give the grower a better understanding on how each factor affect growth and how to achieve maximal crop productiveness. The measurements and resultant optimal conditional adjustments enable the grower to improve productivity and achieve maximum costs and energy savings. Data of climate parameters were collected and analyzed to determine night and diurnal change of solar radiation, air temperature and humidity i...
ABSTRACT Product temperature is a very important system parameter as well as an indicator of extrusion proc- ess. In this study, the product temperature response of a single screw extruder developed locally was investigated for the extrusion process of the flour and starch of maize and cassava which are grown in Nigeria in large quantity but with high post-harvest losses. These were compared with wheat flour which is commonly used for the production of alimentary pastes. A factorial experimen...
ABSTRACT The increase in papaya production requires new strategies to extend the storage life of the fruit. Edible coatings act as physical barriers when applied on the surface of fruits and effectively change their internal atmosphere and delay the ripening process. In the present study, two different coatings were developed from the mucilage of Opuntia cactus and their effects were investigated on the quality and storability of papaya fruits. The two experimental coatings were pure mucilage...
Abstract Records of climatic variables (Solar radiation, Maximum and Minimum Temperature, Maximum and Minimum Relative Humidity and Wind speed) were collected from three International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Stations namely Ibadan, Kano and Onne in Nigeria. For Ibadan, a 36-year (1973 – 2008) record was obtained, for Kano, a 29-year (1980 - 2008) record was obtained and for Onne, a 31-year (1977 - 2006) record was obtained. Evapotranspiration rates for each of the stations ...
Abstract The substantial amount of energy consumed during food processing and energy consumption is a very significant factor of operational costs. Also, consumption of products of starchy crops like cassava, maize and wheat is the common feature of low income dwellers of Africa. Improvement of these diets by fortifications with essential components of food including proteins, vitamins and minerals is desirable. Extrusion cooking has been proven to be a very efficient food processing technolo...
African locust bean is a leguminous plant that is rich in nutrients and is used as food condiment. The traditional method of processing this food condiment is mostly unhygienic; consume a lot of fire wood, human energy and time. Using traditional methods for boiling 33.7Kg of locust bean would take about 12 hours. This study attempts to mechanize the existing traditional methods of boiling locust bean by designing, constructing, and evaluating electrically powered locust bean boiler. The...