Estimation of growth rate and biomass production of native savanna forage shrub species
December 2016
The growth and long-lived growth patterns observed in many Savanna shrubs may be advantageous for survival in harsh physical environment. This study was conducted to estimate the growth potential and biomass yield of Securinega virosa, Cajanus cajan, Stylosanthes mucronata and Tephrosia purpurea in the northern region of Ghana. A total of 16 experimental beds of size 4 x 4 m with 1 m spacing between beds were...
Genetic diversity in lowland, midaltitude and highland African maize landraces by morphological trait evaluation
November 2016
Genetic diversity information is a resource for improvement in crop productivity and trait performance, however, there is scanty information on genetic diversity estimates in the maize landraces covering the major geographical regions of Africa. In the current study, the genetic diversity of 35 landraces originating from lowland, midaltitude and highland regions of Africa and held in the IITA Genetic Resource Center,...
Characterization of the common bean host and Pseudocercospora griseola, the causative agent of angular leaf spot disease in Tanzania
November 2016
Angular leafspot (ALS), caused by the fungus, Pseudocercospora griseola, is one of the most important disease of common bean in Tanzania. Breeding for resistance to this disease is complicated by the variable nature of the pathogen. In Tanzania, a thorough analysis of the variability of this pathogen is lacking which limits breeding for durable resistance. This work aimed at characterizing P. griseola in relation to its...
Performance of yield attributes, yield and economics of teff (Eragrostis tef) influenced by various row spacing, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers
October 2016
Teff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.)] is the most important cereal crop of Ethiopia, occupying 31% area and 20% production of the total cereal crops. However, its productivity is almost stagnant, with a national average yield of meager 1.46 tonnes ha-1 mainly due to inadequate modern agronomic practices and technologies in the present production system. The urgent necessity for its higher production and productivity as a staple...
Genotype by environment interaction in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cultivars in Uganda
October 2016
Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important and ancient oilseed crop cultivated in hot, dry climates for its oil and protein rich seeds. On the African continent, Uganda ranks seventh in sesame production. The improvement of new genotypes with the desired yield stability and performance in different environments is an important issue in breeding programs. In order to identify high yielding and stable sesame genotypes...
Antifungal and cytotoxic activity of purified biocomponents as carvone, menthone, menthofuran and pulegone from Mentha spp.
October 2016
Medicinal plants are attractive sources in the search of bioactive compounds in the treatment of infectious diseases. Considering that the infectious agent often develops resistance to existing treatments rapidly, the searches for such compounds are a never-ending process. One such infection, caused by Candida spp. is candidiasis, which is a public health problem. Additionally, many strains have resistance to...
Useful plant species diversity in homegardens and its contribution to household food security in Hawassa city, Ethiopia
October 2016
The study was conducted on homegardens of Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia with the aim of documenting useful plant species; identifying the internal and external household factors related to useful plant species diversity in and around home gardens and examining its contribution to household food security and income generation. A random sample of 120 homegardens from eight sub-cities of Hawassa city was used to collect...
Monitoring the implementation of Prunus africana (Rosaceae) management plans in Cameroon: Respect of national norms
September 2016
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat has teamed up with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) to assist Congo basin countries in the frame of the so called “the ITTO-CITES program”, to develop non-detriment findings (NDF) on Prunus africana, a CITES listing tree species. This paper aims to assess the way the simple management plans...
Grain yield response of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) to intra- and inter-row spacing under irrigated condition at Gode, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia
September 2016
Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is the most important oilseed crop in Ethiopia. In the present study, efforts were made to devise appropriate crop geometry to obtain improved yield. An irrigated field experiment was conducted from December, 2014 to March, 2015 at the experimental farm of Gode Polytechnic College, Gode, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia, in order to determine grain yield and yield components using factorial...
Diazotrophic bacteria inoculation associates with acids and nitrogen in corn
August 2016
A successful application of humic acids and diazotrophic bacteria in corn represents a potential that collaborates to break the current energetic consumption paradigm, which is based on unsustainable fossil sources. Thus, this study aimed to quantify the contribution of diazotrophic bacteria in association with humic acids and nitrogen (N) in corn, in an experiment conducted under controlled conditions in a greenhouse....
Determination of planting spacing for improved yield and yield components of Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) at Raya Valley, Northern Ethiopia
August 2016
Dekoko is a cool-season food legume cultivated in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. It is highly appreciated by the local people for its taste and high market value. Yields of Dekoko, however, are limited by improper planting spacing. Thus, an experiment was conducted in 2013 and 2014 cropping seasons to determine the appropriate planting spacing of Dekoko that maximizes its productivity under rain fed conditions. Treatments...
Multivariate analysis of sugar yield contributing traits in Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum .L), in Ethiopia
August 2016
Knowledge on performance of genotypes and interrelationships among traits is very important for sugarcane breeding programmes. The objectives of this study were to assess the phenotypic relationship among 49 sugarcane genotypes and the inter-relationships among traits considered. The cluster analysis demonstrated that the 49 sugarcane genotypes studied were clustered into nine groups and were highly different for Pol in...
Response of Sesbania (Sesbania sesban L. Merr.) to inoculation with indigenous isolates of Rhizobium strains
July 2016
Nitrogen fixation through legume-rhizobium symbiosis serves as a cost effective, sustainable and eco-friendly source of N to fodder and grain legume crops. However, there is a need to identify effective rhizobial inoculants compatible with a particular legume. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of forty indigenous isolates of Rhizobium strains on Sesbania sesban L. Merr. Each strain was cultured...
Evaluation of plant stage dependency of QTLs to homologous and heterologous rust pathogen isolates of barley
July 2016
A disease test at different leaf layers (plant stages) of homologous rust and heterologous rust species were studied. The result from homologous rust species showed that those quantitative trait loci (QTLs) (Rphq2 and Rphq11) which were effective at seedling stage were also effective across all plant stages with gradually decreasing effect as plants grew older. Rphq3 which had consistent effect in all leaf layers...
Anatomical characteristics of Nigerian variants of Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent. (Araceae)
July 2016
Four Caladium bicolor variants collected from different parts of Nigeria were subjected to anatomical comparison to enhance the taxonomic status of the species. Fresh samples (leaf and petiole) of these variants were fixed in formalin, acetic acid and alcohol (FAA), dehydrated in alcohol series, peeled or sectioned. Peeled specimens were stained with safranin, while sectioned ones were stained with Alcian blue and...
Evaluation of advanced bread wheat genotypes for resistance to stem rust and yield stability
June 2016
Stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp tritici) poses a major threat to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production worldwide. The interaction between wheat and pathogen in presence of favorable environment can cause a complete crop failure. This study was conducted with the objective to identify wheat genotypes with resistance to stem rust with high and stable yield under four environments in Kenya. Forty wheat genotypes were...
Effect of salicylic acid (SA) seeds soaking on the NaCl salt stress induced changes in soluble sugar and protein accumulation in organs of two genotypes of okra plants
June 2016
Salt stress is a major challenge in agricultural system. In this study, okra seeds of two genotypes (47-7 and LD 88) were presoaked with 10-2, 10-4, and 10-6 mM salicylic acid and control in distilled water, then the soil was treated with 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl. The experiment was conducted to study the effect on osmoregulating solutes such as proline, salt stress protein (glycine betaine and proline betaine)...
Effects of inorganic fertilizer on growth, yield and quality of Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown in synthetic plastic bags
May 2016
A field experiment was carried out with the Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) variety BP1 to determine the effect of inorganic fertilizer (Compound C) on the growth rate, yield and quality of potatoes grown in bags. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments replicated four times, giving a total of 20 plots. In each plot, 5 plants were planted to give a total plant...
The correlation between pseudobulb morphogenesis and main biochemical components of Cremastra appendiculata (D. Don) Makino
May 2016
This research investigated pseudobulb morphological development process of Cremastra appendiculata (D. Don) Makino by paraffin section and micro-observation combining morphological observation method, and analyzed correlation between pseudobulb morphogenesis and its part of biochemical compositions to provide clues for revealing the inhibition mechanism of germination of elder pseudobulbs by the newborn one. The results...
Genotypic variability estimates of agronomic traits in secondary triploid banana ‘Matooke’ (Musa sp., AAA-EA) hybrids
April 2016
Effective selection of hybrids for a trait is based on the extent of variation and heritability. This study examined yield parameters of secondary triploid ‘Matooke’ hybrids and the extent of their genetic diversity based on the traits evaluated. Eleven genotypes, including nine ‘Matooke’ hybrids and two landraces were evaluated for 12 characters in a preliminary yield trial (PYT) over three crop...
Establishment and optimization of high efficiency embryogenic callus induction system in Dendrobium candidum
April 2016
The wild resource of Dendrobium candidum, a well-known epiphytic orchid, is limited. Plant cell culture technology is a promising alternative for production of high-value secondary metabolites .In this research, factors affecting the induction, maintenance, and multiplication of callus from protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of D. candidum were systematically studied, and a technical callus inducing system with 100% rate was...
Growth responses of two varieties of Heliconia flowers to selected growth media in Port Harcourt, South-South Nigeria
March 2016
Lack of suitable variety as well as appropriate growth medium constitutes major problems to flower production. It is against this backdrop that a pot experiment was carried out in the Department of Crop and Soil Science Demonstration Plot, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria between April and May, 2013 to determine the growth responses of two varieties of Heliconia flowers to selected growth...
A DNA-barcode for Melia volkensii Gürke (Meliaceae) and its phylogenetic relationship with some economically important relatives
March 2016
The study reports the first DNA-barcode and molecular phylogeny of the East African endemic tree species Melia volkensii using the standard two-locus plant barcoding genes (rbcL and matK). The two genes were amplified and the PCR products sequenced. Complete coding sequences were obtained for both genes. The edited and aligned sequences had lengths of 1371 bp for rbcL and 1524 bp for matK. These DNA sequences were...
Seed size polymorphism in Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss.: Implications for seed propagation
February 2016
Seed size variation has implications for the success of seedling establishment, but the underlying mechanisms are yet to be fully explored in many species, including Khaya senegalensis. Moreover, seed size is measured in different ways (for example, mass or length), but the extent to which these different ways of measurement differ in predicting seedling growth parameters is unknown. In this study, how well seed mass...
Factors affecting in vitro degree of browning and culture establishment of pomegranate
February 2016
The present study was conducted to identify the most suitable types of nodal explants and browning control treatment for in vitro regeneration of pomegranate. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 1.0 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA was used commonly for all the treatments tested. Result revealed that the intensity of browning was increased with increased position and the length of explants. Minimum browning intensity was...
Effect of poultry manure treated and untreated with effective microorganisms on growth performance and insect pest infestation on Amaranthus hybridus
January 2016
Poor soil fertility is a major cause of low yield of amaranth in Nigeria. Optimum productivity of the vegetable is also constrained by insect pests that cause reduction in yield and quality. Incorporation of effective microorganisms (EM) into organic matter is capable of positively influencing decomposition and mineralization. The present study assessed the effects of poultry manure treated and untreated with effective...
Morphological and molecular identification of Pythium spp. isolated from common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) infected with root rot disease
January 2016
Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the main leguminous crop grown primarily by small-holder farmers in the East and South African countries. Pythium root rot disease is the major production constraints which results in yield losses of 70% to most commercial bean cultivars in eastern Africa. Study focused on ascertaining preliminary information on bean cultivation practices in Tanzania, morphological and molecular...
Mistletoe presence on five tree species of Samaru area, Nigeria
January 2016
The infestation of trees by mistletoe within Samaru is very high and alarming and there is little or no records on the type of mistletoe species found parasitic on tree species within this area. In order to document and know the species richness of mistletoe within this region, the study was aimed at determining the different species of mistletoe parasitic on Albizzia lebbeck, Citrus grandis, Khaya senegalensis,...
Effects of soil substrate quantity and sowing method on cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) seedlings growth in Togo
January 2016
Cocoa is one of the outstanding cash crops in Togo, but the orchards are old and require the rehabilitation trough replanting and good cocoa seedlings. A study was conducted in nursery to investigate the effect of soil quantity and sowing method on cocoa seedlings growth. The treatments were a quantity of depleted bulk soil in two pots (2120 and 1055 cm3) and the cocoa seeds were sown by three methods: Direct sowing in...
Rooting and establishment of Limoniastrum monopetalum (L.) Boiss stem-tip cuttings
January 2016
Rooting of Limoniastrum monopetalum stem-tip cuttings and establishment of produced plantlets were investigated in order to facilitate the use of the species in urban and suburban areas, and historical Mediterranean landscapes as an ornamental plant. Cuttings collected in winter or spring rooted at higher percentages than those collected in summer or autumn. Water-ethanol solutions containing 1000 to 3000 mg L-1...
Iphimeis dives (Crysomelidae) Beetle occurrence in beans in western Parana State, Brazil
January 2016
Iphimeis dives (Germar, 1824) is a species of beetle from Chrysomelidae family, commonly found in fruit trees, and it is known as a vine defoliator beetle or Green Beetle. In this study, I. dives occurrence in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is registered in the cities of Assis Chateaubriand and Palotina, western region of Paraná State. This is the first recorded I. dives attack in Brazil’s bean crops. The...
Re-evaluating TiCl4 and UV assays for detection of vicine and convicine in high-throughput screening of immature and mature seeds of faba bean
December 2015
Genomic resources have just started to focus on the faba bean; the genes for synthesis of vicine and convicine (V-C) have not been determined, and recently developed genetic markers for these anti-nutritionals have not been used to examine these traits in very large scale in faba bean. Simple, rapid and cost-effective technologies are crucial in crop breeding programs, especially in the developing world, and in some...
Cytotoxicity study on Maerua pseudopetalosa (Glig and Bened.) De Wolf tuber fractions
December 2015
Ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of the tuber parts of Maerua pseudopetalosa were subjected to further separation by column chromatography technique and eight fractions were obtained for the former and twelve for the latter one. The brine shrimp lethality assay was used for assessment of the toxicity. Remarkable cytotoxicity against brine shrimp larvae was shown, for the first time, by the ethanol extract. The...
Participatory variety selection of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) genotypes for adaptation to the semi-arid agro-ecology of Northern Ghana
December 2015
In a two-year study, participatory variety selection (PVS) was employed to evaluate the performance of 19 okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) c. v. Moench genotypes in a semi-arid agro-ecology in northern Ghana. The PVS sessions were organized at 65, 80 and 95 days after planting for 272 farmers to select the most preferred genotypes base on plant growth, maturity period and yield components. Results of this study indicate...
Morpho-anatomical characters of Zehneria capillacea (Schumach) C. Jeffrey and Zehneria scabra (L.F.) Sond Cucurbitaceae
December 2015
Comparative studies on macro-morphology, foliar epidermis, stem and petiole anatomy of two indigenous wild cucurbits (Zehneria capillacea and Zehneria scabra) in Nigeria were carried out in order to improve the delimitation of the species based on these parameters. The morphological features of significance observed include variations in leaf and stem pubescence density, leaf shape, fruit shape and color, flower color,...
Influence of herbivorous insects on the production of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley (Cucurbitaceae)
November 2015
The production of indigenous cucurbits remains very low in tropical zones, mainly due to herbivorous insect damage. This study was conducted in Manfla located in the centre of Côte d’Ivoire at 400 km from Abidjan to evaluate the impact of herbivorous insects on foliar damage and agronomic parameters of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley (Cucurbitaceae). Our study revealed that nine insect species...
Planting date and cultivar effects on growth and yield performance of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp)
November 2015
Genotype by environment interaction results in significant differences in the performance of cultivars when tested in diverse environments. Nine improved cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) cultivars obtained from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria and a local check were evaluated for growth, reproductive and grain yield components in a non-traditional cowpea growing region of south...
Poultry litter management in Lagos and effects of its soil application on the growth of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
November 2015
Poultry litter constitutes one of the animal wastes that are produced in large quantity. Information on the quantity generated may enhance planning for its utilisation. Quantification of poultry litter (PL) generated and its utilisation is rare in Nigeria. This study was designed to investigate PL management in Lagos, Nigeria and possible utilisation potential. Questionnaires were distributed to poultry farmers in Lagos...
Environmental factors affecting growth and development of Banlangen (Radix Isatidis) in China
November 2015
Banlangen (Radix Isatidis) is an herbal medicine, and grows in various parts of China. It can be classified into North Radix Isatidis and South Radix Isatidis. With the rising demand of users all over the world, more and more popularly used herbal plants are now grown in agricultural fields. The natural force of supply and demand has encouraged the cultivation of Banlangen in China. However, the cultivation of Banlangen...
Morphological characteristic variation of eleven provenances of Moringa oleifera seedlings grown in the Northern Sudanese area of Burkina Faso
October 2015
This research investigated the morphological characteristic variation among West African provenances of Moringa oleifera in order to select the most suitable provenance for planting in Burkina Faso. A provenance experiment involving seven provenances from Burkina Faso, one from Mali, one Ivory Coast and one from Ghana was established in June 2014 in a randomized complete block design with three replications at...
Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of extracts from medicinal plant ginger (Zingiber officinale) and identification of components by gas chromatography
October 2015
The present study was conducted to investigate antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Zingiber officinale, and detected possible chemicals existence in the plant. Phytochemical screening was carried out using the standard test methods of different chemical groups. Investigating the antioxidant activity, one complementary test method namely 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay was...
Characterization of fructans from Agave durangensis
September 2015
Agave plants are members of the Agavaceae family and utilize crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) for CO2 fixation. Fructans are the main photosynthetic products produced by Agave plants, and are their principal source of storage carbohydrates. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical and molecular characterization of fructans from Agave durangensis. Fructans were extracted from 10 year old A. durangensis...
Crude protein electrophoresis of Ludwigia (L.) species in Nigeria and its taxonomic implications
September 2015
Leaves of nine species of Ludwigia were collected from Southwestern Nigeria and the crude proteins were extracted and analysed by electrophoretic fractionation. The results shows that Ludwigia octovalvis var linearis, Ludwigia octovalvis var brevisepala, Ludwigia hyssopifolia and Ludwigia abyssinica are more closely related based on the position of protein bands. Also, Ludwigia decurrens A and Ludwigia adscendens subsp....
Management of plant parasitic nematodes with fulan in mechanized yam production
September 2015
The potential of Fulan (2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran), a synthetic nematicide applied at 10 g /stand and two plant bed types; ridging and mounding to manage plant parasitic nematodes and increase the yield of yam was investigated at Ejura during 2011 and 2012 at three levels of N-P205-K50 (NPK). The factorial experiment was mounted on randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Ridged bed type + the...
A method to use very small size potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers as seed
September 2015
Potato, being a vegetatively propagated crop, tubers of 30-60 g size is used as seed. Whereas, < 20 g size potato tubers are left in the soil itself after harvesting, as they are not suitable either for consumption or seed purpose. Seed pelleting technique is used to increase the tuber size and provide additional nutrient support. Two cultivars of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) with five different treatments...
Rizobacteria in the control of pest insects in agriculture
September 2015
Biological control of pest insects in agriculture is the focus of many studies, because of the risks in the continuous use of synthetic insecticides, which can cause resistant pests or the occurrence of secondary pests. The use of microorganisms like endophytic bacteria has been performed separately or combined with other forms of control in the Integrated Pest Management. Endophytic bacteria live inside host plants,...
Comparative pathogenicity studies of the Xanthomonas vasicola species on maize, sugarcane and banana
September 2015
Previous biochemical and molecular sequence analyses of Xanthomonas campestris pathovar musacearum, the etiological agent of banana Xanthomonas wilt, suggest that it belongs within the species Xanthomonas vasicola (X. vasicola pv. vasculorum and X. vasicola pathovar holcicola. However, the X. vasicola pathovar names were considered invalid according to pathovar naming standards and placed as one X. vasicola species;...
Soya bean glycine max (l.) Merr. genetic resources in Tanzania, 1905-2013
September 2015
Soya beans, first grown in what is now Tanzania early in the twentieth century, have always been a minor crop in area planted and total production. German East Africa introductions before 1918 were from Japan, China and Rhodesia. Introductions by the British Trusteeship of Tanganyika in 1938 and 1939 were from India, South Africa, the USA and the Far East. Hernon 237 was introduced in 1950 to replace...
Assessment of chemical compositions of three antimalarial plants from Akure, Southwestern Nigeria: A preliminary study
August 2015
Malaria has been a menace to the health conditions of both rural and urban populations in Nigeria. Ethnobotanical survey revealed the use of Anthocleista djalonensis A. Chev, Lophira alata Banks ex C.F. Gaertn. and Olax subscorpioidea Oliv. in the treatment of malaria in Akure, Southwestern Nigeria. The powdered plant samples were screened for phytochemical constituents, proximate composition and mineral elements...
Vital role of herbal medicines in women’s health: A perspective review
August 2015
This is a perspective review of medicinal plants useful traditionally for women's healthcare in countries like India. Medicinal plants have a significant role in women's healthcare in many rural areas. Plants with therapeutic efficacious observations have historically been used as a starting point in the development of new drugs, and modern pharmaceuticals have been derived from them. A review about the...
Page 6 of 17, showing 50 records out of 815 total, starting on record 251, ending on 300
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