ABSTRACT Use of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) resistant varieties in plant parasitic nematode management programs has been increasing in developing countries including Zimbabwe. Resistant varieties provide both economic and sustainable benefits for smallholder farmers who dominate the tobacco industry in Zimbabwe and produce their tobacco under continuous cultivation. A field trial was conducted at the Tobacco Research Board (TRB) during the 2014-2015 growing season to evaluate the effects o...
Abstract A study to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors was done in Murehwa district; Zimbabwe. The research was aimed at determining the prevalence of the disease and also determining the associated risk factors as determinants of the disease. The study was done by using questioners to randomly selected farmers who had reported the disease to the Veterinary Services. A total of 378 cattle were examined in the dry and the wet season. Statistical analysis was performed using...
i ABSTRACT Land use changes have been occurring as a result of human uses for developmental purposes. These changes will certainly have a negative influence on the hydrological characteristics of catchments, thereby inducing an increase in surface runoff, soil erosion and sediment inputs. In the year 2000, Rio Tinto discovered kimberlite diamonds in Murowa, Zvishavane. This discovery led to the relocation of 142 families to Shashe resettlement block in Masvingo Province near Mashava. The area...
ABSTRACT The main aim of the study was to assess the factors that affect goat production. The study was concerned with the analysis of socio-economic factors affecting goat production; with special reference to Zhombe district. Zhombe is a communal settlement area that that is found in the midlands province of Zimbabwe. It consists of 31 wards but the research was done in ward 12 which is south east of Gokwe. Data collection was done through structured questionnaire administered to 40 respond...
ABSTRACT Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are of economic importance in tobacco production especially the specie M. javanica with increased virulence. Over the past decades chemical control has been effective in the management of M. javanica, but due to its negative impacts to the environment, among all management measures use of resistant varieties has an increased efficiency. This study sought to evaluate the resistance of Kutsaga Research Board bred varieties which are T 66, T 71, T 64, T 29 and...
Abstract Title: Investigating the Potential of Moringa Oleifera for Agribusiness Development and Rural Youths’ Self-Employment in Livingstone Rural Areas Moringa oleifera is a nutritious vegetable tree with a variety of potential uses as almost every part of the tree can be used. Moringa oleifera is very useful as an alley crop in the agro-forestry industry. It is useful not only for human beings but also for animals and also in various industrial applications. Besides Moringa oleifera bein...
Abstract Vegetable Amaranth (A. cruentus) is a promising C4 crop for semi- arid regions due to its nutritive value, medicinal property and ornamental for beautifying gardens . It is widely grown in the tropics and is one of the most important leafy vegetables in the lowlands of Africa, South America and Asia. Little knowledge is known on its Nitrogen requirement, that is why this experiment was conducted to fill in that gap. A field study was conducted in Nyanga which is a high rainfall area ...
Contents Table of figures ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Table of tables ........................................................................................................................................ 9 List of acronyms .................................................................................................................................... 10 Acknowledgements ...........
ABSTRACT Fire is an ecological disturbance that may kill or topkill woody plants and control the biomass of woody species in disturbance prone areas, thus maintaining the co-existence of trees and grasses in savanna ecosystems. Relatively recently, savannas have been altered worldwide by a phenomenon known as bush encroachment, which is the suppression of grasses by woody species due to the increase in woody biomass. Terminalia sericea is a woody encroaching species which occurs in woodland s...
ABSTRACT Wheat is the second most important staple food crop in Zimbabwe after maize. However, because of lack of irrigation infrastructure and high cost of production the country is not meeting national demand and is relying on imports thereby losing a lot of foreign currency. Currently winter irrigated wheat production constitutes more than 90% of the local production. The country’s water reserves are also drying up due to low rainfall being received, meaning we cannot increase irrigated ...
ABSTRACT Climate change has resulted in several effects which include floods, droughts and shifts in marginal agriculture systems leading to a reduction in agriculture output which has led to food insecurity in the country. Following some analysis, adaptation has been suggested as the way to combat the effects of climate change, but however, these adaptation strategies are area specific and affected by different factors thus the researcher sought to analyse the factors affecting climate chang...
Abstract The distribution of the world’s flora and fauna is shaped by different environmental factors. Such factors operate either locally, regionally or globally to influence species distribution. Studies of vegetation-environment relationship are very crucial especially under current and future changes in climate. The Kalahari basin also known as ‘thurstland’ offers an excellent basis for these studies at a sub-continental scale due to its variability and uncertainty of rainfall, high...
ABSTRACT A survey was carried out to evaluate the effect of extension techniques on the adoption of conservation agriculture. This was done through determining the effect of farmers‟ knowledge and challenges they face in practicing conservation agriculture in a bid to increase adoption of conservation agriculture. Literature was gathered on conservation agriculture and extension techniques from books, internet, journals and periodicals. Primary data was collected from communal areas of Shur...
Abstract Natural regeneration is an important component of forest dynamics, therefore the knowledge of the forest and requirements of different species are vital for proper planning of sustainable forest management. It is also important to understand how abiotic and biotic factors affect forest regeneration. This study looked at the effect of browsing, plant competition and fire on the regeneration of woody species in Onkumbula community forest in northern Namibia. The study was divided into ...
ABSTRACT Tomato production is being limited especially during the rainy season due to the incidence of fruit rotting due to pest and disease attack. Due to the aforementioned limitation, modification of microclimate by trellising can assist improve crop yield. A 5*2 plus control factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was carried out at Chiredzi Research Station in the 2013/14 rainy season in an open field environment to study the effects of timing a...