ABSTRACT This study was carried out to determine the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf meal supplementation on the performance, carcass characteristics and blood haematological and serum biochemical profile of broiler chickens. Fresh Moringa leaves (FML) were harvested and shade – dried for three to four days and milled into meal. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks. A total of 448-day old broiler chicks were used in this experiment. The experimental birds were distributed randomly into seven...
ABSTRACT Kumi-Woode, B. G. 1996. Natural decay resistance of some Ghanaian timbers and wood decay hazard potential for Ghana. M.Sc.F. Thesis. Faculty of Forestry, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. 98 pp. (Advisor: E. C. Setliff, PhD). Key words: decay resistance, agar-block, soil-block, Coriolopsis polyzona, Oligoporus placentus, Pycnoporus sanguineus, Trametes versicolor, decay index. The natural decay resistance of 30 Ghanaian wood species, the decay capacity of four wood...
ABSTRACT The Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) fingerling production is important for the continual expansion of the global tilapia aquaculture. This study evaluated the Akosombo Strain Nile tilapia fingerling production at the Aquaculture Demonstration CentreAshaiman, Ghana. A total of 1350 female brooders of mean weight 150.7±41.8 g and 450 males of mean weight 218.6±63.1 g were stocked into nine outdoor concrete tanks of size 50 m2 each in a sex ratio of 3:1 respectiv...
ABSTRACT Four experiments were undertaken to evaluate the effect of various treatment conditions on the nutritive value of urea-ammoniated rice straw. Experiment 1 was carried out to determine the optimum conditions necessary fo r ammoniating rice straw with urea. The factors investigated included urea concentration (3 .5 , 4.0, 6.5 and 8.0% W/w), treatment period (7, 14 and 21 days) and moisture le v e l (40, 50 and 60%), in a 4 x 3 x 3 fa c to r ia l experiment. Samples were analysed to ...
BSTRACT This study aimed at assessing the impact of climate change on traditional irrigation farming systems and adaptation strategies was conducted in Lushoto District. The specific objectives were to establish the trend and magnitude of climate change in the study area for the past 30 years (1985-2014), to assess the impact of climate change on crop yield in Ndiwa and Chamazi traditional irrigation farming systems, to analyse the way traditional irrigation farmers‘ adapt to climate change...
Abstract Marketing of crops in Tanzania has been undergoing change. Direct sales from farmers to traders and delivery to the Primary Cooperative Societies (PCS) were in practice at different points of time. Since 2007, the warehouse receipt system was introduced in Tanzania. The warehouse operators accept the deposit of crops in the warehouses and provide a receipt to the farmers through PCS and the farmers receive a part of the payments through bank financing based on these receipts. This s...
ABSTRACT Determination of correct stocking rate based on current rangeland condition still remains a big challenge to livestock farmers. Assessment of vegetation diversity and current rangeland condition was carried out in four communal rangelands, namely Siphocosini, Hawane, Motshane and Nkhaba. The rangeland condition assessment method employed in this study was the ecological condition index (ECI) method. Grass species composition and dry matter were estimated using the point-intercept me...
Abstract Surveillance and monitoring of emerging drug resistance are important as Namibia moves towards malaria elimination. In 2005 artemisinin combination therapies (ACT) were introduced as a first-line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Namibia. However, reduced ACT efficacy has been reported in Asia and in some parts of Western Africa, raising concerns around the efficacy of artemisinin. This study aimed to identify the different Plasmodium species found in the Zambezi re...
ABSTRACT About 70 million hectares of land in Namibia is suitable for agriculture, of which approximately 71% is utilized by livestock farmers. Namibia’s Livestock Producers are faced with bush encroachment that reduces the carrying capacity of agricultural land due to the suppression of perennial grasses and herbs thus limiting rangeland productivity. Namibia can stand to make about N$734.7 million annually from bush-based feed production which could reduce the current feed cost. Thus, th...
ABSTRACT The black mongoose (Galerella nigrata) (Carnivora: Herpestidae) is a diurnal predator that favours rocky habitats. It is endemic to southwest Africa. Due to its elusive behaviour, the ecology of the black mongoose has not been studied and only little ecological information is documented about this species. The general objective of this study was to determine the diet of the black mongoose from Erongo, north-central and Hobatere in northwest Namibia through a faecal analysis. Seventy...
ABSTRACT The potential of the Marama bean plant, Tylosema esculentum (Burch.) Schreiber, a drought-tolerant, bean–bearing legume, native to Southern Africa, was investigated to potentially form part of a food-based approach in rural agricultural extension programmes. Nutrient content and sensory attributes of roasted Marama beans were determined as well as the potential of the Marama plant as fodder for cattle. Chemical analyses were performed on roasted Namibia and Botswana Marama beans t...
ABSTRACT The relationship among animal nutrition, soil ingestion and the seasonality of anthrax occurrence in zebra and springbok in the Etosha National Park of Namibia was examined. The nutrient content of zebra and springbok faeces was determined in wet and dry seasons for a period of two years. Nutrient content was also determined for a dominant grass species (Enneapogon desvauxii) eaten by zebra. Faecal Crude protein (FCP), faecal phosphorus (FP) and faecal crude fibre (FCF) were assesse...
ABSTRACT Bacillus anthracis, a soil-borne pathogen, causes the deadly zoonotic disease anthrax. Anthrax outbreaks occur frequently in Etosha National Park (ENP). ENP has nine major soil types and a distinct rainfall gradient decreasing from east to west. The sporulation success of B. anthracis is believed to be influenced by soil type, but the influence of soil type and site along a rainfall gradient on the persistence of B. anthracis in the soil is unknown. The present study investigated th...
ABSTRACT A new revision of the genus Pentatrichia Klatt is presented here. Morphological data from previously described taxa: P. alata S.Moore, P. avasmontana Merxm., P. petrosa Klatt and P. rehmii (Merxm.) Marxism. were subjected to both univariate and multivariate statistical methods. Both herbarium material and voucher specimens collected during fieldwork were examined. Morphological character data were analysed by Unweighted Pair-group Method Arithmetic Average (UPGMA) clustering algorit...
ABSTRACT Feed shortage, especially during dry seasons, is a critical threat to livestock production in Namibia. Innovative feed production from encroacher bush species has the benefits of increasing fodder availability and controlling bush encroachment. Bush-based feed is characterized by high fibre and low protein content which makes it less palatable and digestible to livestock; hence often requires supplementation with commercial feed ingredients which increase bush feed production costs...