A BSTR A C T To enhance food security, crop losses due to disease and pest damage must be reduced. Improved technologies for pest control using appropriate and environmentally sound technologies to promote food security is a major priority for many developing nations. Integrated Pest Management, IPM (also referred to as Integrated Crop M anagement (ICM)) is one o f such approaches to promoting food security. Its adoption by farmers is therefore critical. In Ghana, few empirical evidence about...
ABSTRACT The concentrations of some trace metals (zinc, iron, copper, cadmium and lead) in 51 canned foods (fish, vegetable and fruit juice) samples purchased within Abuja Municipal Area Council (Nigeria) were determined using the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS). The wet oxidation procedure of HN03-H20 2 was used in the preparation of the samples. The ranges obtained for trace metals analyzed in ug/g are as follows: Canned fish: Zn (19.15±0.8-32.50±0.3), Fe (17.92± 1.2 --...
ABSTRACT Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a major vegetable crops, and is ranked second at 14% of total value of exotic vegetables produced in Kenya after potato with a value of 55%. It is predominantly grown by small to medium scale growers in open fields. However, open field tomato production faces many challenges including weather extremes, diseases and insect pests. The whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius), is one of the major pests of tomato capable of causing up to 80% loss in yield....
ABSTRACTA portable cold room storage was developed. The system was tested with different types of perishable crops under different temperatures. The system is made up of two units, one, the evaporating unit that is where the produce was stored; it is made up of steel material with 79mm by 45mm in length and breadth. While the second unit is the trolleys, the system consists of a control switch that is calibrated to suit any type of produce stored in the system. It contain a separate basemen...
ABSTRACT Biodiesel, defined as the monoalkyl esters of vegetable oils and animal fats, is becoming prominent among alternatives to conventional petro-diesel due to economic, environmental and social factors. Transesterification is the most preferred method of biodiesel production. Knowledge of transesterification reaction kinetic enables prediction of the extent of the chemical reaction (or the conversion) at any time under particular conditions. It is also essential in the optimization of op...
Abstract: A green prospective based on the reuse of waste materials such as beef tallow and waste cooking vegetable oils to manufacture soap is presented. Beef tallow and waste cooking oils that is discarded as waste from households and restaurants after frying is reviewed for the production of toilet (bath) soap. The discarded oil is purified with a brine solution and bleached with Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2.) Purified waste cooking oils and beef tallow is mixed with coconut oil commonly used ...
ABSTRACT Micronutrients are comprised of vitamin and mineral nutrients needed during pregnancy for fetus growth, development, maturation and reducing/preventing maternal complications. In the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) micronutrient rich foods (vegetables and fruits) are lacking due to restrictions on cultivation and unavailability of vegetables and fruits in the local markets. Therefore, the current study introduced a food basket intervention and assessed its effectiveness in addres...
ABSTRACT The 2014 Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) and Micronutrient Survey reportshowed malnutrition among children aged 5-11 years in Kenya. In particular,malnutrition in Machakos County manifested as stunting (26.3 %), wasting (6.3 %),underweight (12.7 %), marginal vitamin A deficiency (VAD) (33.9 %), anemia (16.5%), zinc deficiency (82.5 %) and iron deficiency (9.4 %). African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (AILVs) such as Vigna unguiculata and Amaranthus cruentus can be usedto fight ...
ABSTRACT This study reports for the first time in Ghana long-term monitoring of heavy metal contamination of vegetables. As reliable residue data analysis resulting from monitoring programs in foods is of great value to the general populace; this could address the possible risk of heavy metal exposure to human health. In this study, monitoring of heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in consumable vegetables was assessed for a period of 2 years, 2013-2014. In all, a total o...
Despite the importance of Global-GAP standards in promoting production and marketing of quality French beans in Kenya, compliance is still low. Using data from randomly selected 492 French beans, farmers, the study sought to determine the link between risk preferences, Global-GAP certification, observed poverty, and vulnerability to future poverty. The study used social experiment and 5-point Likert scale to solicit risk attitudes parameters, binary Logit model to determine the effect of risk...
ABSTRACT The concentration of heavy metals such as Pd, Cd, Cu and Cr were studied using AAS on vegetable samples such as Tomato (fruit and leaf) and Onion bulb. Trace element as Cu showed high concentration. The concentration of heavy metal like Cu ranged from of 0.155 to 0.024mg/kg in tomato fruit; 0.120 to 0.057mg/kg in leafy tomato; 0.118 to 0.121mg/kg in onion bulb which were more than the maximum permissible limit according to the International organization like FAO and WHO. The conce...
ABSTRACT Thrips are crop pests causing damage to a wide range of crops ranging from fruits to vegetables to ornamentals through direct feeding or oviposition on plants. The main objective of this study was to determine the species composition of thrips and their host range in some selected parts of Greater Accra and Eastern Regions of Ghana. Thrips were collected from flowers, leaves and twigs of vegetable, ornamental and tree crops by beating and jarring and identified to species level. Fi...
ABSRTACT This study was carried out to analyze processing, marketing and demand for processed fruits and vegetables in Tanzania. Data for the study were collected from a sample of 320 households, 77 traders and 59 processors using structured questionnaire. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze the data. The results of the study show that fruit and vegetable processing firms were not able to utilize their capacities almost throughout the year with very low capacit...
ABSTRACT Spider plant (Cleome gynandra) is among traditional leafy vegetables whose consumption is increasing in Kenya. Characterization of spider plant ecotypes has not been exclusively done even though a collection exists at the national museums of Kenya. Production of spider plant as a vegetable is constrained by low leaf yields resulting from lack of improved planting materials and a short vegetative phase of the plant. The objective of this study was to morphologically characterize 36 sp...
ABSTRACT Increased consumer awareness has raised concerns over food safety and production methods. In Nigeria, consumption of organic produce is low. This study assessed consumer willingness to pay for selected organic leafy vegetables. Data from 129 respondents were obtained using a simple random sampling technique. Conjoint analysis and contingent valuation were used to analyze willingness to pay and determinants of willingness to pay. Contingent valuation indicated that 84.5%, 76%, and 62...