ABSTRACT The effects of five weed management techniques and a weed-free control on weed infestation and on the growth and yield of a plantain landrace (Musa spp. AAB Agbagba) were evaluated during the two cropping seasons of 2005 and 2006 at Nsukka, Nigeria. The experiment was laid out in randomised complete block design (RCBD) with six treatments and replicated four times. The treatments comprised six weed management techniques, which consisted of slashing at 8-weekly intervals, mulching w...
ABSTRACT Double muscling is a heritable trait. It has been revealed that myostatin (MSTN) or growth differentiation factor 8(GDF8) is the genetic agent of this trait. The gene is a myokine, a protein that inhibits myogenesis (muscle cell growth and differentiation). In-Silico genetic analysis was done to analyze the sequences of the Myostatin gene in cattle, sheep and goat. A total of thirty-seven (37) nucleotides with their corresponding amino acid sequences comprising (26 for goat, 9 for c...
ABSTRACT Fadama farming has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s agriculture in particular and the country in general, but the contributions have remained largely unmeasured. As a result, this study examined the influence of the National Fadama Development Project on Fadama farmers in Kano State. Primary and secondary data were sought. A set of questionnaires was developed and information was collected from 108 respondents who were randomly selected from the three agricultural zones in t...
ABSTRACT The effect of dietary supplementation of organic selenium at different levels on the reproductive performance of rabbit does was investigated using 16 (12 does and 4 bucks) rabbits. The rabbits were of New Zealand white, Dutch and chinchilla breeds. The twelve rabbit does were randomly assigned to four experimental treatment groups (T0, T1, T2 and T3) according to the amount of organic selenium supplementation in a completely randomized design (CRD). Rabbits in T0 served as the cont...
Abstract The land at Anuka, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State in Southeastern Nigeria, under the sub-humid tropical climate was evaluated for maize (Zea mays), cassava (Manihot esculenta), yam (Dioscorea spp.) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) cultivation. Data were obtained by field study and laboratory analyses. Six pedons were dug and described: two pedons each for maize and oil palm fields, and one each for yam and cassava fields. These pedons were dug to represent sampling unit...
ABSTRACT Two field experiments were conducted in 2007 and 2008 cropping seasons at the Department of Crop Science research farm, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to characterize some Nigeria cucurbita genotypes with respect to morphology, nutrient composition and the cytology. The results obtained showed that Shannon diversity index (Hs) was 4.136 which suggests high level of diversity among the Nigerian cucurbita species evaluated. Cucurbita moschata had the highest Shannon diversity index...
ABSTRACT The study assessed the use of online resources by agricultural science lecturers of tertiary institutions in Benue State, Nigeria. A total of 193 lecturers, randomly sampled from a population of 775 from six tertiary institutions of learning, including, two universities, two colleges of education and one college of agriculture were used for the study. The survey method, employing a structured questionnaire, was adopted in carrying out the research. Six study questions and two hypo...
Abstract An experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka in the 2006 cropping season, to assess the effects of planting distance and organic manure rates on yield and nutrient composition of waterleaf at Nsukka. in Southeastern Nigeria. Treatments comprised five planting spacings and four manure rates. The planting spacings were 25cm x 10cm, 25cm x 15cm, 25cm x 20cm, 25cm x 25cm and 25cm...
Abstract In 1962, the Government of Eastern Region of Nigeria acquired two parcels of land measuring about 500 hectares each at Omasi and Adani at the Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu Province of Eastern Nigeria. The parcels of land were ear-marked for the establislln~ent of the former Um-Uwani Farm Settle~nerit Scheme. Progress in the establislinient of the scheme was interrupted by the Nigerian civil war as only two firm sctcleme:lt villages ou~ of the five proposed had been set up. After the ci...
ABSTRACT The study analysed the effects of off-farm work on technical efficiency and production risks among rice farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria. Ninety respondents were selected using the multistage sampling technique. Data for the study were collected by the use of well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and a stochastic production frontier model were used to analyse the data. Results showed that the two groups of rice farmers had similar socioeconomic characteristics. Te...
ABSTRACT The study was carried out in Caprivi region situated in the North East of Namibia. The region was divided into three predominant vegetation types with substantial grazing potential. Nine (9) sites (three in each vegetation type) were randomly selected for data collection. The objective of the study was to estimate and compare the biomass production of the rangelands of the three vegetation types in the Caprivi. At each site 200m X 100m transect was laid down for collecting herbaceou...
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to characterize phenotypically, indigenous Ghanaian rabbit resources of northern Ghana. When characterization of the indigenous rabbits is complete, selection and breeding for specific objectives can be systematic. Three hundred local rabbits from the three northern regions of Ghana were randomly sampled. Frequencies for colour varieties were computed. The effects of variety, region and sex on body measurements were analyzed and phenotypic correlations be...
ABSTRACT The study examines the African Growth and Opportunity Act and African underdevelopment, a critical analysis of major contradictions. The thrust of the research work is to find out if AGOA has spurred the level of investment needed to expand economic activity in the rural agricultural sector. The research work also seeks to examine if AGOA has promoted export diversification with particular reference to the clothing and textile industry and the degree the US trade with SSA countries ...
ABSTRACT The broad objective of the study was to analyse Raphia palm wine (RPW) marketing in South-South Nigeria (SSN). The specific objectives were to: (i) analyse the productivity of resources used in RPW production; (ii) analyse the determinants of technical efficiency of tappers; ( iii) analyse the structure of the RPW market in the area; (iv) describe the marketing channels and distribution of RPW; (v) estimate the level and determinants of profit in RPW tapping and marketing (vi) estim...
ABSTRACT Prices contain information crucial to maximizing the returns to production and marketing investments. At planting time, a farmer's planting decision depends on expected profits, which invariably hinge on the anticipated prices of the crop or mix of crops that would prevail in the market at the time of sale and on the farmer's interpretation of those prices. A trader, in search of profitable arbitrage, reads and translates price signals in deciding on what crops to buy, where to bu...