ABSTRACT The study aimed at collecting, characterizing, storing and assessing the ethnobotanical uses of the African rice and its wild relatives collected from the Volta Region of Ghana. It also aimed at detecting the concentrations of mineral elements namely: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) in soils of the different accessions collected. Seven accessions of rice were collected from paddy fields in fourte...
ABSTRACT Maize production in Ghana between 1984 and 1990 exceeded 500,000 metric tonnes per year except in 1985 where there was a shortfall to 395,000 metric tonnes. The unfavourable years of drought between 1981-1983 were attended by a sharp decline in maize production ( 140,000-333,200 metric tonnes ). The bulk of the national maize production was contributed by Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Eastern and Northern Regions. Maize husk available after removing cobs was commensurate with the total maize...
ABSTRACT The relationship between five randomly selected isolates of Aspergillus niger from naturally infected bulbs of shallot and two shallot cultivars (Allium ascalonicum L.) was investigated. The two cultivars were “Pale-brown” and “Pink”- named for the colours of their scale leaves. A. niger causes bulb rot of shallots which have important uses in food and traditional medicine in Ghana The relationship showed by the cultivars were similar in some aspects and different in many oth...
ABSTRACT Airborne pollen grains and fern spores (aeroflora) are some of the major causative agents of allergies. However, data gathering on composition and distribution of these aeroflora across Nigeria is incipient. The aim of this study is to monitor the aeroflora in Lagos metropolis and determine the allergenicity of dominant aeroflora. To achieve this, aerosampling was done in Surulere, Ebute-Metta, University of Lagos, Akoka (UNILAG), Bariga and Gbagada. Aerosamples were collected and a...
ABSTRACT Maize and soyabean are among the staples in the world. Their sustainable production through the use of synthetic fertilizer causes soil degradation and ground water contamination. An alternative means of boosting and sustaining the production of these staples through the use of rhizobium and mycorrhiza have been reported but there are contradictory reports on interactions between the two organisms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the influence of Rhizobium japoni...
ABSTRACT Mushrooms such as Pleurotus, Vovariella and Auricularia species are cultivated for food and medicinal purposes in the world. However, cultivation of Auricularia in Nigeria is limited due to inadequate information on its characteristics, nutritional contents and cultivation requirements. Hence, this study was designed to characterise Auricularia species in Southwestern Nigeria and determine suitable substrates for their cultivation. Fifty-four samples of Auricularia species were rando...
ABSTRACT The quest to boost dietary protein production from readily available and affordable sources is ever increasing in developing countries. The indigenous edible Pleurotus species (oyster mushrooms), which grow naturally on wood wastes, are potential protein supplements. However, little information is available on the usage of selected tropical trees for optimum mushroom cultivation. Therefore, this research was designed to investigate the growth and yield of oyster mushrooms on sawdust ...
ABSTRACT Macrophytes such as Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes are known bioaccumulators found in the Ologe Lagoon which receives effluents mainly from Agbara Industrial Estate. However, the mechanism of heavy metal bioaccumulation by these macrophytes has not been fully understood. This study was designed to determine the mechanism of heavy metal bioaccumulation and model the phytoremediation capabilities of the macrophytes. Five sampling stations: Owo (before the point of discharge...
ABSTRACT The involvement of Listeria monocytogenes in bacterial meningitis and spontaneous abortion in some towns in northern Nigeria was investigated. Three hundred cerebrospinalfluid (CSF) samples, 300 blood and 300 placenta swab samples were collected from meningitis and spontaneous abortion patients in the study area of Bauchi, Jos and Kano. Three hundred nono (a fermented milk product) samples were also collected from milk hawkers at various locations in the study areas. The samples were...
ABSTRACT The diversity and distribution of aquatic macrophytes particularly the invasives were studied in southern Ghana. The study area covered six regions in Ghana and these were: Greater Accra, Central, Ashanti, Eastern, Volta and Western. Forty-four sampling sites were visited and voucher specimens were collected and deposited in the Ghana Herbarium. Sixty-two aquatic macrophytes were encountered during the study which belonged to 48 genera and 30 families. Also, the invasive and non-in...
ABSTRACT The natural Radial and axial variations in the resistance of the wood of Termihalia ivorensis A* Chev, against damage by subterranean termites were investigated for two trees from the same locality- The damage was studied in relation to specific gravity, the modulus of elasticity, the cross-sectional area of vessels in the wood,, and the water soluble extractives. The correlation between termite damage and these physical, mechanical and anatomical properties have been reported. It wa...
ABSTRACT Studies were carried out on the distribution, characterization, pathogenicity and antibiotic susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes in Six Local Government Areas of Plateau State, Nigeria. A total of One hundred and fifty (150) experimental samples were taken from each test Local Government Area. The isolation was carried out with the aid of cold enrichment, selective broth and selective Listeria agar. The experimental samples examined included: cow, goat, poultry, rabbit and sheep...
ABSTRACT Fourteen (14) sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas(L.)Lam.) clones, TIS.8441, Ex-Igbariam, TIS.86/0356, TIS.86/0306, TIS.2271, TIS.2532.OP.1.13, CIP 4400168, TIS.2544 Rusanya 1.5, TIS.82/0270.OP.1.85, TIS.82/0070.OP.120, TIS.8/637, NRCRI/UN/13, TIS.87/0087 and a farmer’s variety(Dan-Mangu), were screened during the cropping seasons of 2000 and 2001, to evaluate their yield potentials under the Jos-Plateau environment. The randomized complete block design was used with four replications. O...
ABSTRACT The effects of water and methanol extracts of 19 Ghanaian plants belonging to 12 families on some aspects of the physiology of five fungi (Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Sclerotium rolfsii, Nigrospora sp.), and five bacterial species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella (Group C,), Escherichia coli (EPEC 0:43), E. coli (ETEC OK5)) were investigated in vitro in either liquid or agar medium amended with varying dilutions (1:1 - 1:5 v/v)...
ABSTRACT Genetic studies on seed coat texture and cooking time in some varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) were carried out between August 14, 2000 and November 20, 2002 and August 2, 2001 and December 3, 2003 respectively. The experiments were carried out at the research and teaching farm, Federal University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State. Randomized complete block design with five replications was used for the two experiments. Appropriate crosses were made among eight co...