ABSTRACT Agriculture in the Jasikan District in recent times is predominantly based on arable crop production, using traditional slash and burn techniques, which encourages extensification. There is the need for the development of sustainable agricultural practices that will not require new land but could still be incorporated into the farm business and be a source of income for farmers. Beekeeping has been identified as one such sustainable agricultural practice in the district. Unfortunatel...
Use of single soil specific extractants to determine plant available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium for crops such as bell pepper, are costly, laborious and time wasting. Bell pepper, rich in antioxidants, requires phosphorus and potassium for high quality fruit yield. Mehlich-3 (M3), a multi-purpose extractant could extract phosphorus and potassium simultaneously. However, M3 has not been evaluated and adapted for Nigerian soils. Therefore, M3 as a multi-purpose extractant of P a...
Inorganic feed additives are commonly used in small ruminant production to promote growth. However, the problem of bioaccumulation of chemical residues in animals fed inorganic feed additives has necessitated the search for organic alternatives such as Fossil Shell Flour (FSF). There is dearth of information on the use of fossil shell flour as a feed additive in the diet of small ruminants. Hence, growth performance of West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep fed diets supplemented with FSF were i...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate the agroforestry technology adoption and its effect on farmers’ crop productivity in the Bawku West, Talensi and Nabdam Districts of the Upper East Region of Ghana. Three hundred farmers from six communities within the study area were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. The study employed descriptive statistics in identifying the types of agroforestry technologies adopted by farmers. A five point likert scale was employed to ass...
Pepper a perishable seasonal fruit, requires storage to extend its shelf-life. Appropriate postharvest handling and storage prolong longevity and preserve quality of Pepper Fruit (PF). However, there is dearth of information on its handling and storage in Southwest Nigeria. Therefore, the effects of postharvest handling methods and storage conditions on storability of PF were investigated. Two hundred Pepper Fruit Marketers (PFM) were randomly selected from pepper markets in Ibadan, Oyo...
Spermatozoon apoptosis in extended semen is a challenge to artificial insemination in poultry production. Chicken spermatozoa undergo damages in vitro due to lipid peroxidation among other factors. Extender supplementation with exogenous antioxidants could mitigate lipid peroxidation and improve semen quality. However, inclusion of antioxidants such as selenium and α-tocopherol in semen extender to improve quality of sperm cells has not been adequately documented. Therefore, effects of ...
ABSTRACT Pearl millet is a major food crop in the northern part of Nigeria. However, its production has been constrained due to several factors, among them is Striga hermonthica. To understand pearl millet farmers’ varietal preference traits, production constraints and knowledge of Striga infestation, a participatory rural appraisal was conducted across six districts in three local government areas of Jigawa State in Nigeria. Data were sourced using a semi-structured questionnaire among 143...
ABSTRACT The main objective of the study was to determine if there were differential barriers to entry into dry season farming in the Kassena Nankana East and Bongo Districts of the Upper East Region of Ghana and if so, how this affects participation and to what outcome. The types of barriers identified as important from the literature were categorized into economic, institutional, technical and socio- cultural barriers. The research design was a case study and used both quantitative ...
ABSTRACT The biological activity of neem oil and neemazal against the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) was assessed in maize grain in the laboratory. The bioassays carried out were toxicity of the products against adults and immature stages, effect of the products on progeny production, damage assessment, repellent action and persistency of the products in grain and their effect on seed viability. Neemazal was highly toxic to P. truncatus than neem oil. The highest dosage of ...
ABSTRACT Four closely related Ghanaian Khaya woods were studied for differences in anatomical, chemical and physical properties to enable clear identification of the species. The species were Khaya anthotheca (Ka), Khaya ivorensis (Ki), Khaya grandifoliola (Kg) and Khaya senegalensis (Ks). Samples for the study were obtained from identified standing trees from eight Forest Districts in Ghana. Macroscopic, microscopic and ultrastructural features including physical and chemical features were e...
ABSTRACT The study was conducted in three phases. Phase one was to assess the postharvest management practices along the tomato value chain in the Fanteakwa District of Ghana. Semi–structured questionnaires were administered randomly to fifty tomato farmers and fifty tomato traders. The value chain of tomatoes as observed in this study, started from pre-harvesting stages and ended with the consumer. Harvesting was done manually and fruits were harvested by majority of farmers when fully ri...
ABSTRACT Access to agricultural resources is a major issue in the development discourse. Despite the significant roles both men and women play in agriculture in many developing countries, they continue to have differential access to agricultural resources. This research therefore, studied the relationship between gender and access to agricultural resources in the Sudan and Guinea savannah ecological zones in Ghana. Primary data were gathered using questionnaires administrated to a sample of 2...
ABSTRACT Climate change is a major stressor that would adversely affect tropical agriculture, which is largely rainfed. Available evidence shows that associated with climate change is an increasing trend in temperature and in some locations, decline in rainfall leading to repeated droughts during the growing season. In this study, the effects of increased temperature and drought on soybean, a C3 plant, was investigated under greenhouse conditions. An understanding of how soybean would respon...
ABSTRACT Alkalinity stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses limiting rice production in irrigated systems. Alkalinity stress during seedling stage widely affects irrigated rice production of Office du Niger in Mali. The development of rice cultivars that tolerate alkalinity stress condition has been hindered by the lack of an elaborate breeding program. The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate and validate production constraints and varietal preferences of rice farmers...
ABSTRACT Studies were undertaken to obtain information on the genetics of traits related to biological nitrogen fixation in cowpea, in soils deficient in phosphorus prevailing in the humid forest zone (HFZ) of Cameroon. In this zone, farmers are not usually consulted in the development of new varieties in cowpea breeding programmes. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique through focus group discussions and questionnaire administration was used to assess farmers‟ knowledge on the role...