ABSTRACT Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) is a staple food crop for a large proportion of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. One important factor limiting its production and utilisation is infestation by weevils belonging to the genus Cylas, commonly known as sweetpotato weevils. The use of host plant resistance is an essential component for the integrated pest management of sweetpotato weevils. In this study, the susceptibility of some Ghanaian sweet potato varieties to infestations by...
ABSTRACT The sterile insect technique involves mass rearing of male insects for sterility purpose. This heavily relies on male fitness and genetic compatibility of laboratory-adapted male insects and the wild to ensure successful competition with their male counterpart in the wild. Uniform environment in the laboratory as compared to the wild conditions might lead to genetic drift which might lead to reduced sexual competitiveness, fitness, morphological changes or changes in the sexual behav...
ABSTRACT Cabbage is a well-known vegetable grown in Ghana due to its nutritional value and serves as a source of livelihood for small scale farmers. Its cultivation is constraint by insect pests such as Plutella xylostella (L) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), Hellula undalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Brevicoryne brassicae (Aphididae) which cause significant damage and yield loss. Farmers especially those in the Ketu South municipality of the Volta region apply synthetic insecticides 12-15 times...
ABSTRACT Malaria is a major public health problem in most developing countries. In Ghana, it is hyper-endemic with children under-five years, pregnant women and non-immune visitors being at greatest risk. The National Malaria Control Programme recognizes the use of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) as one of the multiple prevention tools in the control of the malaria vectors. But due to problems associated with ITNs which include rapid loss of bio-efficacy as a result of repeated washings and l...
ABSTRACT The impact of irrigation schemes on malaria risk has been a perennial subject of debate in that transmission in irrigated areas can appear higher, less than or similar in neighboring non-irrigated villages. To study its impact on malaria transmission in the coastal savanna area of Ghana, adult Anopheles mosquito populations were studied during the dry season of 2002 - 2003 in two villages, Okyereko which is situated within a rice-growing irrigation scheme and Bewadze located 9.5km aw...
ABSTRACT Coconut oil and two types of palm oil (Palmin oil and Frytol oil) were evaluated for the control of the cowpea beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) on stored cowpea. The oils were applied at the rate of 4, 6 and 10 ml per kg cowpea. Oil treatment reduced oviposition and progeny emergence but did not affect the longevity of the adult insects. The highest dosage of 10 ml per kg seed protected the seeds for five months. Palmin oil appeared superior to coconut and frytol oil. The oils h...
ABSTRACT Laboratory and field studies were conducted to investigate the toxicity, antifeedant activity, moulting inhibition property and persistence of two neem seed extracts against the cocoa mirids Distantiella theobroma (Dist.) and Sahlbergella singularis Hagl. The study also investigated the effects of neem extracts on nontarget arthropods. Propoxur (Unden 200 EC) was used for baseline comparison. In the laboratory bioassays, the neem was applied at the concentrations of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%...
ABSTRACT Laboratory and field studies were conducted to investigate the toxicity, antifeedant activity, moulting inhibition property and persistence of two neem seed extracts against the cocoa mirids Distantiella theobroma (Dist.) and Sahlbergella singularis Hagl. The study also investigated the effects of neem extracts on nontarget arthropods. Propoxur (Unden 200 EC) was used for baseline comparison. In the laboratory bioassays, the neem was applied at the concentrations of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%...
ABSTRACT A major constraint to increased and sustainable production of tomatoes is its infestation by insect pests particularly the tomato fruit worm Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The control of this insect relies heavily on the use of synthetic insecticides which have negative environmental effects. Some insects have developed resistance to certain insecticides. Efforts are therefore being made to look for alternative control strategies that are environmentally-safe...
ABSTRACT Pesticide use pattern on exportable pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr.) (Smooth Cayenne) was studied in the Akwapim South District of Ghana through administration of questionnaires. Among the several pesticides listed as being used, only nine, representing 43%, had been provisionally approved for use on exportable pineapples. Farmers handled pesticides carelessly without necessary caution though they had general awareness of hazards of pesticides. Residue levels of chlorpyrifos...
ABSTRACT A study of the seasonal patterns of distribution and abundance of hornbills was carried out from October 2010 to September 2011 in six protected areas of the Upper Guinea Forest of Ghana, a sacred grove, two urban settlements and a biodiversity plot in four regions of Ghana. The study compared the effects of the rainy and dry seasons on the distribution and abundance of hornbills in different matrix types. More hornbills were recorded in the dry season than in the rainy season. Five...
ABSTRACT Global declines in pollinator diversity and abundance have been recognized, raising concerns about a pollination crisis of crops and wild plants. In many African countries including Ghana however research and publications on the subject are rare. To this end, a study was carried out from June 2013 to April 2014 to determine the influence of landscape type on bee species abundance and diversity in the Forest Savannah Transition Zone (FSTZ) of Ghana. The research also evaluated farme...
ABSTRACT This research was carried out to investigate the nesting ecology of stingless bees in three selected landscapes in the northern part of the Volta Region of Ghana, from June 2011 to February 2012. The study focused on three stingless bee species Meliponula bocandei (Spinola), Meliponula ferruginea (Lepeletier) and Dactylurina staudingeri (Gribodo). Using eight transects (500 X 40 m) in each landscape, number of nests, nesting heights, diameter at breast heights (DBH) of nest trees and...
The Livestock sector in Ghana has incurred significant losses due to the African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT), transmitted by tsetse flies. Attempts to reduce the disease prevalence have been mainly through vector control and the use of trypanocidal drugs. An assessment of these control measures gives appreciable information on the impact of the efforts involved in such activities.This study was therefore firstly to identify a trypanosomiasis endemic area where trypanocidal drugs are use...
ABSTRACT Species composition of sweet potato weevils (Cylas spp) on two sweet potato varieties was determined in the southern parts of the country. One species, Cylas puncticollis Boh. was found to be present in the southern part of Ghana. Studies on the biology of Cylas puncticollis were evaluated on two varieties, red and white varieties, under laboratory conditions at 27.0°C and 70% RK The incubation period of the eggs were 4 days on the red variety and 5 days on the white variety. L...