Abstract. Studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of drip irrigation and fertigation system on the yields of sweet maize and telfairia OCL·irtclltalis. Three treatments: watering once per week ((i.JR lures) (W;), twicc (11M:, 1itrcs) (W2), ,Ind thrice. (17.16 1itrcs) (V)) WCIC applied to sweet 1II'li;,(. Four tl'L'.;ltIIIClils: 17 litl'l:s (WI), I S7() lit res (W,), 170 litrcx ('IV}), 22.05 litrcs (W4) and lour Icrtigation levels: SLi.0kg/iJ'l (I:I!: 68.0Gkg/ha (F2); 81.92kg/ha (F...
ABSTRACT Several factors influence the quantity of charcoal production in different parts of Nigeria. The study investigated species selectivity for charcoal production in three ecological zones of Nigeria. Data were obtained through the use of structured interview schedule administered to three hundred and twenty seven respondents selected through snowball. The data were subjected to descriptive and analysis of variance. The results show that the mean age of respondents was 44, male (88.1%),...
ABSTRACT Plant biodiversity and ethnobotanical potentials of University of Agriculture Makurdi (UAM) Wildlife Park and Ikwe Games Reserve, Benue State, Nigeria, were investigated in this study. Floristic survey was conducted in the two reserves using stratified sampling technique based on the three identified microhabitats in each of the reserves. Nine plots measuring 25 m x 25 m were laid in each of the reserves to survey trees and shrubs with diameters at breast height (dbh) 5 cm and above....
ABSTRACT Wastewater irrigation can pose a variety of potential health risks and also excessive and often imbalanced addition of nutrients to the soil to affect crop production. Thus its use in agriculture without adequate safeguards has been noted to have serious drawbacks for human health and the environment. This study modelled the levels of microbial and chemical contaminants in wastewater used for peri-urban vegetable crop production for both dry and wet seasons and also assessed the eff...
ABSTRACT It is essential that smallholder farmers in developing countries have access to the benefits that modern irrigation technology seeks to offer. However, this has not always been so because of the inability of smallholder farmers in developing countries to adopt this advanced technology due to cost constraints. The objectives of this study were to design and construct a simple low cost drip irrigation system suitable for smallholder farmers, and to evaluate the technical performance ch...
ABSTRACT A non-weighing lysimeter was designed, fabricated, tested and installed at Arochukwu, Abia State, Nigeria, where the farmers who engage in dry season vegetable production do so with no knowledge of irrigation water requirements. This method tends to either over-irrigation or under-irrigation below the vegetable water requirements. Too much water can leach costly fertilizers to depths below the root zone, where both the water and fertilizer are permanently lost. Too little water ...
ABSTRACT A direct-heated solar crop dryer suitable for rural farmers and households was developed and evaluated. The simple structured dryer was fabricated using square and round pipes, aluminium sheet, Perspex, wire gauze, bolts and nuts. Its performance was evaluated using cassava chips and three cylindrical aluminium chimneys of heights 1200mm, 800mm and 400mm; all of equal diameter. Mature cassava roots were peeled, washed, chopped into flat circular chips of 10mm thickness and sprea...
ABSTRACT This study is on the determination of the Compressive Strength of Palm Kernel Shell Concrete. The effect of percentage replacements (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) of crushed granite with palm kernel shell on density and compressive strength of concrete is presented. Concrete cube specimens of mix 1:2:4 were prepared with water-cement ratio of 0.6. The cubes (150mm×150mm×150mm) were cured using water-submerged curing until testing ages of 7, 14, 21 and 28 days when their densities and c...
ABSTRACT An evaporative cooling system was developed with locally available materials. The system was aimed at providing lower temperature and higher relative humidity necessary for extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The performance of the cooler was evaluated in terms of temperature drop, humidity gain, cooling efficiency and quality assessment of the stored products. Two categories of test were carried out on the cooler with the chosen absorbent materials: the no-load test a...
ABSTRACT An indirect, natural convection solar-assisted charcoal smoking system was designed and fabricated in one of the host communities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri where most of the fish farmers and processors adopt the conventional method of drying fishes, that is, using firewood. This method which works well during the dry period of the year is very inconvenient during the rainy season. Given the excessive heat generated by firewood and its resultant effect on the...
ABSTRACT This study was carried out to solve problems associated with low groundwater pH encountered by poultry farmers (using Owerri as a case study) which results to birds‟ mortality and low production of eggsand meat. Groundwater samples from different areas in Owerri were collected from boreholes for characterization using standard methods and the pH values were assessed. The results showed that pH of groundwater in the study area ranged from 4.8 to 5.8 through dry and ...
Abstract The objective of the study was to determine the most appropriate methods of initial land preparations in Afram Plains based on their effect on selected soil physical properties such as dry bulk density, porosity, hydraulic conductivity and available water content. The study also sought to estimate the cost of preparing farm lands in the Afram Plains. The study was conducted in Odumesua in the Afram Plains District sampling soil from fields prepared with three identified and categoriz...
ABSTRACT There has been claims that biochar improves water retention in soil and aid in improved crop productivity. Hence, recent conservation practices in the area of agricultural lands have focused research attention on the performance mechanism of biochar. In this study, the effect of corn cob biochar particle sizes ( FBP (