Antiviral properties of two Nigerian plants
July 2009
Ethanolic extracts were prepared from Bambusa vulgaris and Aframomum melegueta. They were analysed for antiviral activities against three human viruses namely: measles, yellow fever and polio viruses by standard laboratory tests. Both extracts showed antiviral activities against one or two viruses. B. vulgaris resulted in inhibition only on measles virus at MIC of 62.5 µg/ml while A. melegueta...
Characterization of callus formation in leaf of Euphorbia helioscopia
June 2009
The callus was induced on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlo-rophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) or 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) from the Chinese medicinal herb Euphorbia helioscopia in the family Euphorbiaceae. The highest frequencies of callus induction were observed on MS medium supplemented with 3.0 mg l-1 2,4-D. Callus (yellow, loose, granular) was chosen...
Genotype x environment interaction for soybean grain yield and other reproductive characters in the forest and savanna agro-ecologies of South-West Nigeria
June 2009
Eight soybean varieties were evaluated in 2006 and 2007 at three locations in the forest and savanna agro-ecologies of South west Nigeria for grain yield and other reproductive characters. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and genotype plus genotype x environment interaction (GGE) biplot analysis. The main effects of year, location, variety and their interactions had significant effects on all the...
Antifungal properties of some locally used spices in Nigeria against some rot fungi
June 2009
Water extracts of three spices (Allium sativum, Afromumum melegueta andZingiber officinale) were tested for antifungal activities against three rot fungi (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium notatum ) using mycelial growth extension method. The extracts showed varying degrees of antifungal activities against the test fungi. P....
Physiological and anatomical comparison between four different apple cultivars under cold-storage conditions
June 2009
The work was carried out in two successive seasons (2005 and 2006) to investigate the storability of four apple cultivars viz. Golden Delicious, Starking Delicious, Star Cremson and Gala, which were grown under El Jabal El Akhdaer conditions, in Libya. Fruits were harvested and stored at 85-90% relative humidity and 0ºC for 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days. The obtained results...
Quantitative genetic parameters in tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze): I. combining abilities for yield, drought tolerance and quality traits
May 2009
The combining abilities for yield, drought tolerance and quality related traits inCamellia sinensis were estimated using a 4 x 4 full diallel mating design. There was significant phenotypic variation for the nine traits measured among the progeny and their parents. Generally, parents with good combining ability produced progeny with above average performance for all the traits evaluated. The general...
Screening of four common Nigerian weeds for use in phytoremediation of soil contaminated with spent lubricating oil
May 2009
Phytoremediation is a non destructive and cost effective in situ technology that can be used for the cleanup of contaminated soils. The potential for this technology in the tropics is high due to the prevailing climatic conditions which favour plant growth and stimulates microbial activity. The present study investigated the use of use of 4 common weeds in Nigeria -...
Stomatal complex types and transpiration rates in some tropical tuber species
May 2009
Anatomical study of the leaf epidermis in 6 tuber species namely Manihot esculenta Crantz, Cyperus esculentus Linn. Ipomoea batatas Linn., Xanthosoma sagittifolium Schott, Colocasia esculenta Schott and Caladium hortulanum Vent was conducted. Among these species, only C. esculenta has epistomatic leaves with stomata occurring only...
Cellulase activity in tomato fruits infected with Penicillium funiculosum Thom.
May 2009
Within eight days of incubation at room temperature (27oC), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruits infected with Penicillium funiculosum Thom. had deteriorated. Extracts from the infected fruits exhibited cellulase activity. Uninfected fruits lacked cellulase activity. The enzyme was partially purified by a combination of gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. On...
Screening of low temperature tolerance on cassava genotypes according tostomatal conductances
May 2009
8 cassava genotypes were evaluated under growth chambers (15/10, 20/15, 25/20 and 32/22°C day/night temperature respectively) and field conditions (Ibadan: 27B ± 5°C and Jos plateau: 18 ± 5°C) from 1993 to 1996. In a growth chamber study, none of the tested genotypes survived after 3 week at 15/10°C, low temperature regimes by 20/15 and 25/20°C had significantly (P < 0.05)...
Evaluation of some hybrid rice varieties in under different sowing times
April 2009
A field experiment was conducted in the experimental farm of Rice Research and Training Center (RRTC) – Sakha, Kafr- El Sheikh Governorate, and Egypt during rice season in 2008 for physiological evaluation of some hybrid rice varieties in different sowing dates. Four hybrid rice H1, H2, GZ 6522 and GZ 6903 were used. Seeds were sown on six different sowing dates April 10th, April 20th, May 1st, May...
Stomatal features and humidification potentials of Borassus aethiopum, Oreodoxa regia and Cocos nucifera
April 2009
The atmosphere contains water vapors which humidifies it and later condenses in order to form cloud and subsequently rainfall. The falling of rain is an inevitably necessary thing for plants and animals, which in turn release water back to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. Larger portion of water is obtained in the atmosphere through plant transpiration. Transpiration rate is relatively regulated by...
Investigation of morphophysiological variation in field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) populations of Karaj, Varamin, and Damavand in Iran
April 2009
Diversity in field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) populations collected from Karaj, Varamin, and Damavad during 2006 (for seed collection) to 2007 (for seed germination and plant growth in green-house) at the Weed Research Department, Iranian Plant Protection Research Institute for identification of morphophysiological variation using multivariate analysis methods. The most important variables were...
Application of soil conditioners and man-made erosion control materials to reduce erosion risk on sloping lands
April 2009
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil conditioners and man-made erosion control materials on stabilization of sloping hills using rainfall simulator and small flume facilities. Treatments were man-made erosion control materials (from polypropylene fabric) and soil conditioners (gypsum and PAM), these treatments were evaluated on a soil sample with a clay texture taken from a hill...
Trade offs in grain and leaf yield of cowpea based on timing of leaf harvest
April 2009
The critical period for cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walpers) leaf harvesting on grain yield of black eyed bean (BEB) cowpea type was determined by timing termination and commencement of leaf harvesting during 2005-2007 rain seasons. Two leaves were harvested from each plant per treatment up to pod formation as compared to no leaf harvesting. The times at which leaf harvesting began and ended had...
Morphological evaluation of olive plants propagated in vitro culture through axillary buds and somatic embryogenesis methods
March 2009
The morphological fidelity of the olive plants propagated through axillary buds, microplants and somatic embryogenesis, somatic plants was evaluated. Thirty-two morphological traits were used to characterize the tissue culture propagated olive plants. The microplants showed very high phenotypic similarity compared to plants produced by conventional cutting propagation method. The somatic plants exhibited...
Molecular analysis of type III polyketide synthase (PKS) gene family from Zingiber officinale Rosc
March 2009
Enzymes of the type III polyketide synthase family is considered to have significant role in biosynthesis of structurally diverse polyketide scaffolds in Zingiber officinale. Genome wide analysis of polyketide synthase gene family in Z. officinale identified partial sequences of six members. Comparative sequence analysis showed that four of them ZoPKS2, 3, 4 and 6 were novel forms as revealed...
Qualitative analysis of tree species in evergreen forests of Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India
March 2009
Current study provides information on the characteristics of tree species in five forests types in the Kumaun Himalaya. On the basis of importance value index, it was observed that Pinus roxburghii is the common tree species at site 1 and 2,Quercus leucotricophora is common at site 3, 4 and 5 is dominated by Quercusfloribunda and Quercus semecarpifolia, respectively....
Response of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to different rates of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on vertisols at Debre Berhan, in the central highlands of Ethiopia
February 2009
A study was conducted to determine the response of potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) to different rates of nitrogen (N) applied as urea (0, 69, 138 and 207 kg/ha) and phosphorus (P) (0, 20, 40 and 60 kg/ ha) fertilization on Vertisols of Debre Berhan in the highlands of central Ethiopia. Application of 207 kg N/ha delayed days to flowering and physiological maturity by four and nine days,...
Evaluation of antibacterial properties of Chebulic myrobalan (fruit of Terminalia chebula Retz.) extracts against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli
February 2009
The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible antibacterial potential of Chebulic myrobalan extracts (cold aqueous, hot aqueous and ethanol) against multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens. For this purpose both clinical isolates (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli) and standard type control strains were...
Performance of exotic mulberry (Morus spp.) germplasm on growth and yield traits in Indian condition
February 2009
Exotic mulberry germplasm accessions were evaluated under tropical dry agro-climatic condition of India. Mulberry accessions showed great extent of variation in growth and yield traits. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences in all growth and yield traits. The interaction between accession x season was significant for all traits except number of branches per plant, total shoot length and...
Biocontrol of wilt disease complex of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) by isolates of Pseudomonas spp.
January 2009
Biocontrol of wilt disease complex of pigeon pea, caused by Meloidogyne incognita, Heterodera cajani and Fusarium udum, was studied using 21 isolates of fluorescent Pseudomonads isolated from pathogen suppressive soils. The isolates Pf 718, Pf 719 and Pf 736 of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pa 737 of P. aeruginosa caused 79, 84, 87 and 93% reductions in hatching...
Bactericidal activity of Pistacia atlantica. Desf mastic gum against certain pathogens
January 2009
The hydro-distilled essential oils from the exudates of Pistacia atlantica. Desfstems have been tested against three bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes) using three different methods (agar disc diffusion method, minimal inhibitory concentration and Maruzella method, and showed antimicrobial activity against all these...
Studies on the pollen biology of Terminalia paniculata Roth. (Combretaceae)
December 2008
Terminalia paniculata is a deciduous tree widely distributed in tropical semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forest. Flowers of T. paniculata have ten stamens, which remain inside the bud and anthesis is carried out at different times of the day. Pollen grains are medium spherical, tricolpate 17 mm in diameter, smooth exine and yellow in colour. The pollen: ovule ratio approximated 16,000:...
Effect of leaf cutting on physiological traits and yield of two rice cultivars
December 2008
Field experiments were conducted during two summer seasons 2003 and 2004 to study the effect of leaf cutting on physiological traits and yield of two rice cultivars hybrid (H5) (IR 70368 A /G 178) and inbred rice. The leaf cutting was followed from flag leaf as follows: 1.) L; Control = without leaf cutting, 2.) L1; flag leaf cut, 3.) L2; second leaf cut, 4.) L3; third leaf cut, 5.) L4; both flag leaf and...
Watermelon production on stored rainwater in Sahelian sandy soils
December 2008
Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thumb) Matsun and Nakai ] is an important cash crop in West Africa where it is cultivated under rainfed conditions. The objective of this work was to identify best cultural practices for production of watermelons in the Sahel on stored rainwater in acid sandy soils. The experiments were carried out at the ICRISAT Sadore research center in Niger during two consecutive dry...
Long term effect of Leucaena leucocephala on soil physico-chemical properties and fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production of oil palm
November 2008
The study investigated a long-term effect of Leucaena leucocephala a leguminous tree crop on the soil physico-chemical properties and its possible effect on the fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production of oil palm. L. leucocephala had a highly significant (P<.01) effect on soil physico-chemical properties than the control. The soil under Leucaena leucocephala exhibited relatively high...
RAPD and SSR analysis of wild oats (Avena species) from North West frontier Province of Pakistan
November 2008
Genetic diversity of 10 biotypes of wild oats (Avena species) which differ in certain morphological and physiological characters were analyzed using 9 Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and 2 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) primer sets. RAPD and SSR primers revealed different levels of genetic polymorphisms among the various biotypes. Range of genetic distances estimated by using individual primers was 0...
Evaluation of crisphead lettuce cultivars (Lactuca sativa L.) for winter production in a soilless production system
October 2008
Soilless cultivation of lettuce gained popularity in recent years in South Africa because of improved yield and quality. Thirteen crisphead lettuce cultivars were evaluated in a gravel-film production system during the winter season at the experimental farm of the ARC-Roodeplaat. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design with five replicates. For each cultivar, yield, internal quality,...
Exogenous ascorbic acid (vitamin C) induced anabolic changes for salt tolerance in chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants
October 2008
The effect of exogenous supply of ascorbic acid on growth and metabolic changes in chick pea under salinity treatment was carried out in pot experiment. The exogenous supply of ascorbic acid (4 mM) improved the fresh and dry matter gain in roots, shoots and leaves of chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.) Plants attenuated by the salt stress (40 mM NaCl) environment in the soil solution. Significant synergistic effect...
Phytochemical and antioxidant screening of some plants of apocynaceae from South West Nigeria
October 2008
The phytochemical and antioxidant properties of Strophantus hispidus (stem and root), Voacanga africana (stem and leaf) and Thevetia neriifolia (stem and leaf) were investigated. The parts of the plants used were based on those used locally. All the plants tested positive for the presence of tannins, flavonoids and cardiac glycosides, all except S. hispidus (stem) tested positive...
Assessment of phenotypic diversity of macadamia (Macadamia spp) germplasm in Kenya using leaf and fruit morphology
September 2008
The ability to identify genetic variation is indispensable to effective management and use of genetic resources. Morphological traits are among the earliest markers used in germplasm characterization and management. Leaf and fruit morphological characteristics were recorded for 23 cultivars of Macadamia using a sample of 30 for each trait and replicated three times. The analysis of variance revealed significant...
Isolation of total RNA from ripe and unripe soursop (Annona muricata L.) fruit
September 2008
Soursop fruit tissue is known by its acidic pH and high levels of polysaccharides, polyphenolics and secondary metabolites. These conditions are recognized to interfere unfavorably with conventional methodologies for RNA isolation. We describe here a rapid and simple method for the isolation of total RNA from soursop fruit. RNA was extracted in less than 4 h through a combination of SDS/potassium acetate precipitation...
Bioindicators in sustainable management of tropical forests in India
September 2008
Nature follows its own pattern to regulate the dynamic ecosystem. If the process is closely monitored it provides indication for the cause and effect of the changes occurring owing to natural factors and anthropogenic activities. The bioindicators are potentially useful tool for the scientists, researchers and foresters to assess the sustainable forest management (SFM) in countries like India, which is rich in...
Regeneration efficiency of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] via embryonic axes explants
September 2008
The experiment was conducted to test the in vitro regeneration efficiency of cowpea shoots via embryonic axes explants and the effect of benzyl amino purine (BAP) concentration on shoot formation. A total of 600 explants (embryonic axes) were plated from which 237 shoots were regenerated. The average regeneration ratio was 39% and the number of shoot per explant obtained stood at an average of 6.0. This...
Regeneration of plants from rice caryopsis derived callus culture of Nigerian local cv. Suakoko 8 and a NERICA cv. FARO 55
September 2008
The regeneration protocol for rice plants from callus culture obtained from dehusked and sterilized whole rice seeds (caryopses) of a popular Nigerian local cultivar Suakoko 8, and a NERICA cultivar FARO 55 is described. Utilizing a modified Nippon Barre medium (NBm) consisting of: Macro N6, Micro B5, Fe-EDTA, B5 vitamin and 30 mg/l of locally produced St Louis® sugar (to save cost) supplemented with...
Response of mustard and linseed to thermal power plant wastewater supplemented with nitrogen and phosphorus
August 2008
The effect of thermal power plant discharged waste water (TPPW) on growth, yield and quality of mustard (Brassica juncea L. cv. Alankar) and linseed (Linum usitatissimum L. cv. Neelam) was studied. TPPW increased growth characteristics, net photosynthetic rate, seed yield, oil content and oil yield of the two crops. In mustard, treatments TPPW N112P60 (112 kg N/ha + 60 kg P/ha), TPPW N112P30 (112 kg...
Morphological and agronomical characterization of sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] germplasm collection from Tanzania
August 2008
One hundred and thirty six sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) landraces collected from three different agro-ecological Zones of Tanzania [Lake Victoria basin (LZ), Eastern (EZ) and Southern Highlands Zones (SHZ)] were characterized morphologically and agronomically using International Potato Centre (CIP) descriptors in two seasons. The cluster analysis revealed existence of two major groups, 1 and 2...
Induction of anti-oxidative enzymes by cadmium stress in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)
August 2008
In the present study, the cadmium’s effect on anti-oxidative enzymes in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants was evaluated. Plants treated with increasingly CdCl2concentrations (0, 20, 40, 80, 100 and 200 μM respectively) were grown in a basic nutrient solution for 7 days. APX (Ascorbate Peroxidase) and GPX (Guaïgol Peroxidase) activities showed to increase below 100 μM concentration after...
The morphology and ultrastructure of glandular and non-glandular trichomes of Pteronia incana (Asteraceae)
July 2008
The electron microscopical investigation of foliar appendages of Pteronia incana(Burm) has shown that there are two types of trichomes. The non-glandular type which consists of two-four cells forms a dense mass of long fibrous hairs, covering the entire surface of plant. The glandular trichome types which are club-oval shape and consist of several glandular cells. The gland cells of the glandular...
Irrigation suitability evaluation and crop yield – An example with Amaranthus cruentus in Southwestern Nigeria
July 2008
A detailed soil survey of 1.03 hectares of land within University of Ado Ekiti Teaching and Research Farm was carried out to evaluate the suitability of the soils for irrigation agriculture and to examine the influence of three different soil types, water and fertilizer rates on the yield of Amaranthus cruentus. All the soils evaluated were considered not suitable for gravity irrigation but soil A...
Molecular analysis and phenotype characterization of the progeny of two antisense potato plants
June 2008
Two transgenic potato lines csr2-1 and csr4-8, containing two different antisense constructs, csr2 and csr4, respectively, were crossed to investigate the possibility of achieving double transformants with combined effects of the two antisense transgenes on plant phenotypes and cellulose deposition. Molecular analysis revealed an expected segregation ratio of 1:1:1:1 of the four classes. Phenotype...
Edaphic factors and survival of a red mangrove species (Rhizophora mangle) in two mangrove swamp soils
June 2008
The effects of two Niger Delta Mangrove Swamp Soils on growth and growth components of Rhizophora mangle were studied. The mud flats had higher manganese, organic carbon, lower sodium, higher phosphorus, lower pH and no sand particle compared with peaty clays. The mud flats also had very low cation exchange capacity (CEC) and these qualities affected adversely the plant height, survival,...
Forest vegetation patterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone of west Himalaya, India
June 2008
The present study describes vegetation diversity along an altitudinal gradient in three sites of sub-alpine forests. The altitude of the study sites ranged from 2800 - 3600 m asl and represented a transition from closed canopy temperate forests to open canopy sub-alpine forests. The results revealed that from low to high altitude strata, size and density of trees decline sharply. The density of sapling and seedling...
Studies on the vegetative growth requirements of Psathyrella atroumbonata, pegler, an edible mushroom in Nigeria
May 2008
Growth requirements of Psathyrella atroumbonata Pegler, a Nigeria edible mushroom were studied. Glucose was the best carbon source. This was followed by maltose, starch and manitol in that order. The least growth was observed in lactose and cellulose. Yeast extract which is organic nitrogen proved to be the best nitrogen source. P. atroumbonata utilizes organic nitrogen better than...
Changes in fatty acid composition of polar lipids associated with growth and senescence in leaves of Catharanthus roseus
May 2008
Polar lipids are important membrane components of plant cells. They are known to affect certain membrane properties like permeability, fluidity and active transport. In the present study, individual leaf buds were tagged on the day of appearance and sampling began 7 days later. Additional samples were taken at 7 days intervals until leaf abscission occurred about 77 days after tagging. The experiments were...
Performance of green maize and soil nutrient changes with fortified cow dung
March 2008
Organic manures are known to have the ability of supplying both the required macro and micro plant nutrients but in low quantities and usually not early enough for quick utilization. Enriching the manure combats the deficiency of late and low supply of nutrients. Experiments were conducted to assess the growth and yield of maize with Nitrogen-enriched cow dung. This was compared with performance with...
Relationship between growth and ion relation in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) at different growth stages under salt stress
March 2008
Seedlings of two pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) lines were exposed to 0 (control) and 100 mol m–3 NaCl salinity. Treatments were applied fourteen days after germination. Growth of the shoot and root system and ion contents were determined at seedlings (21 days after treatment) and vegetative stage (42 days after treatment). NaCl concentration caused reduction in the...
Epiphytic organisms on the pneumatophores of the mangrove Avicennia marina: occurrence and possible function
February 2008
The nature of the epiphytism of red algae and also the occurrence and possible role of other epiphytic micro-organisms within the superficial tissues of pneumatophores of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies revealed that bacteria and holdfasts of red algae were present in damaged tissue of the periderm. Culture studies indicated that...
Variation in the essential oil composition of Artemisia annua L. of different growth stages cultivated in Iran
February 2008
Variation in the quantity and quality of the essential oil of Artemisia annua L.(Asteraceae) at different developmental growth stages including pre-flowering, flowering and post-flowering, are reported. The oils were obtained by hydro distillation of the air-dried samples. The yields of oils (w/w %) in different stages were in the order of: pre-flowering (0.97%), flowering (1.23%) and flowering (0.87%)....
Page 16 of 17, showing 50 records out of 804 total, starting on record 751, ending on 800
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