Abstract: Given the need to boost food production while guaranteeing environmental sustainability, the black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens (L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) is gaining traction worldwide as an alternative protein source. In Kenya, BSF production and its use as a feed component is an emerging business, but farmer awareness of the potential use of BSF in animal feed has received limited attention. This study examined the factors influencing farmer awareness of insect farming...
ABSTRACT Intraspecific variation in Achatina achatina achatina Linne (one of the numerous giant African snails) in Ghana was studied using chronological features, body characters and reproductive potential. Snails were collected from June to August, 2006, from four ecological regions namely Ashanti (Amansie East district), Central (Assin South district), Eastern (Suhum- Kraboa- Coaltar district) and Western (Wassa West district). In this study, the four snail populations showed a broad range ...
Abstract The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution of income and livelihood strategies among the horticulture farming households in Nyeri District, Kenya through the estimation of the Gini Coefficient. The study used secondary data obtained from a National Household Survey carried out in 2007 by Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development. The estimated Gini coefficients indicated that there is variability in the distribution of incomes among the households in ...
Abstract: This study was conducted to analyze value chains of potato in Farta district, Amhara Region. The objective of the study was to analyze the value chains of potatoes in the study area. To address these objectives, both primary and secondary data were used. Primary data were collected from123 producers, 30 traders and 13 consumers by using pre-tested questionnaires. Secondary data were collected by reviewing documents from different sources. To evaluate efficiency of potato markets in...
ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus, is a metabolic disorder caused by the inability of the beta pancreatic cells to adequately produce insulin or due to insulin resistance of cells. As a result of the increasingly high incidence of diabetes globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set timelines and guidelines for the reduction of the risk of mortalities and morbidities associated with noncommunicable diseases including diabetes, by the year 2030. However, this agenda is hinged on the availa...
ABSTRACT Cabbage is an important crop for many smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia, due to its nutritional and financial benefits. It is one of the popular vegetables consumed and cultivated by both urban and rural dwellers in Ghana. The production of cabbage in Ghana, however, is faced with numerous constraints especially insect pest infestations. Farmers have limited control options and therefore resort to the use of synthetic insecticides. Indiscriminate use of these insecticides has l...
Diversity in India is observed in almost all the fields. Diversity is a concept about range of variation or differences among entities. India is a land of physical, ecological, biological, socio, cultural and linguistic diversity. It is characterized by innumerable varieties of climate pattern and habitats. Vegetation in relation to environment has been the major approach in studying the ecological aspects. These aspects present an integrated picture of the interactions of the species, ...
Abstract: Maize is the most widely grown cereal crop worldwide, and is the most important staple crop in sub-Sahara Africa. The spotted stemborer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera:Crambidae) is considered among the most important pests of maize and the damage it causes may result in yield losses of up to 88%. Previous studies showed that plants damaged by herbivores release huge amounts of volatile compounds, known as herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) into the environment, whic...
ABSTRACT The petroleum hydrocarbon composition of sediments from Qua Iboe River Estuary, Ibeno, South-Eastern Nigeria, was studied to determine the levels of these hydrocarbons in the marine environment. Ten sediment sites were sampled using a van veen Grab sampler. Chemical parameter, such as total organic carbon (TOC), was assessed using Blackey-walkey titration method. Soluble organic matter (SOM) was assessed using sohxlet extraction method and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was asses...
ABSTRACT The study serves to provide an assessment of impediments to agricultural development in Nyazvidzi small scale farming area with special attention being placed upon the relationships between the farmers and all agricultural stakeholders whom they interact with, rural livelihoods systems, infrastructure, the natural environment, agricultural production and marketing. The information was gathered and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The target sample f...
Biotechnology research and development is moving at a very fast rate. In broad terms, Biotechnology can be defined as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof to make or modify products or processes for specific use. This range from the use of synthetic hormones in induced breeding hybridization, production of monosex, uniparental and polyploid Molecular biology, transgenic fish to gene banking. CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION �...
ABSTRACT Isolated organs or tissues are body parts, organs, systems or tissues separated from the body and placed in an artificial nutrient medium similar to blood plasma in salt composition and osmotic pressure and temporarily retaining their principal functional properties. They are used to study certain aspects of organ activity, elucidate the action of medicinal substances and poisons, provides researchers with convenient biological models that are independent of the systemic influen...
ABSTRACT Tilapia farming is expanding across the world because this type of fishes can be cultured under very basic conditions and so is ideal for rural subsistence farming, yet is amenable to more sophisticated, market-oriented culture programmes. This therefore informed the decision to look into the operation of tilapia farmers. The study focused on assessing the operations of tilapia farmers in the Asuogyaman District of Ghana. The study adopted a descriptive approach. The study relied on ...
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of land degradation on agricultural land use, planning and management in chongwe, Zambia and specifically determined farmers’ considerations of land suitability for selected types of agricultural land uses in varying cropping zones, investigated farmers’ local environmental knowledge of land degradation indicators and finally documented farmers’ land management strategies and practices for soil and sustainable Agricultural conservatio...
One of the most important challenges to continuously maximize crop production on limited areas of agricultural land is to maintain or enhance soil fertility. Organic fertilizer application is needed to replace nutrient removed by crop from the fields in order to restore crop production potential of a soil. But application of organic fertilizer alone insufficiently increases crop yield per area because the nutrient content of organic fertilizer is unbalanced. A trial was conducted in the ...