ABSTRACT Soil erosion is a major threat to sustainable agriculture in the humid tropics. Management practices adopted to control soil erosion and improve soil quality include mulching and the use of Vetiver Grass Strips (VGS). Integrating VGS with mulch could be more effective in controlling soil erosion than VGS or mulching alone. However, information on the effectiveness of combined utilisation of VGS and Vetiver Mulch (VM) in controlling soil erosion and improving crop yield is scanty...
ABSTRACT Effective management planning tools for forest require growth and yield functions that can produce detailed predictions of stand development. Models such as Gamma Distribution Function (GDF), Weibull, Beta, and similar functions have been used to predict growth and yield of forest stands. However, information on the use of GDF in forest management has not been fully documented. The development of a program using Java programming language for GDF to predict growth and yield of Tecton...
ABSTRACT With the growing concerns about the likely implications of climate change, the long term sustainability of conventional agricultural approaches and biodiversity loss have contributed to a growing interest in the potential of the so-called underutilised crops to address food, nutritional, and income security challenges. In support of their wider use, advocates of underutilised crops associate a number of benefits with them. These include agronomic and nutritional benefits such as drou...
ABSTRACT Users of wood still have preferences despite increasing reduction in the availability of wood species. This study was therefore carried out to assess the users’ preferences for sawn wood species in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey study, which employed questionnaire and on-site observations, was used. A sample of 210 respondents was purposively selected from twenty one associations’ of sawn wood users comprising mixtures of active furniture makers and carpent...
Abstract This study was carried out to estimate the value of the environmental service functions of Uzere mangrove forest using the Willingness to pay method. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain information on the willingness to pay (WTP) for environmental service functions of Uzere mangrove forest. Contingent valuation approach was used to elicit information on WTP and the socio-economic variables that influence the WTP. Data were obtained from a systematically sampled 300 residen...
ABSTRACT The study evaluated the willingness of Herbal Medicine Practitioners (HMPs) and Herb Vendors (HVs) in Ibadan, Nigeria to contribute financially to medicinal plants conservation projects. Data was collected using structured questionnaires administered on 124 HMPs and 83 HVs randomly selected from fourteen herbal associations and marketers respectively. Results showed that 79.03%of all HMPs were males and 20.97% females while 83.13% of HVs were females and 16.87% males. All the HMPs an...
ABSTRACT A laboratory evaluation of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) as wood preservative on sapwood of Triplochiton scleroxylon test blocks sawn into 20mm x 20mm x 300mm sizes against Trametes cingulata and Lentinus lepideus was studied using crushing method. The crude extract was diluted with n-hexane, volume for volume. Four levels of CNSL concentration were tested at 4%, 8%, 12% and 16%. The treated test blocks and control test blocks were exposed to the infection regions of the pathogens i...
ABSTRACT Nitrogen is a major soil nutrient for the growth and development of crops. Nitrogen deficiency in-between pre-nodulation and nodulation in soya bean is critical to enhancing its growth and yield. Decision Support Systems for Agro-technology Transfer (DSSAT) model like CROPGRO-soya bean could be a useful tool for predicting starter nitrogen requirement in soya bean. However, information on starter nitrogen application to overcome Ndeficiency-induced-stress during early seedling growth...
ABSTRACT Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) have been identified to contribute to community livelihoods. Such contributions are people as well as site specific and may be shortlived if continuous availability cannot be guaranteed. Information on the role of NTFPs in community livelihoods is crucial to their sustainable management; however, this role has not been properly documented in Taraba State. Therefore, contributions of selected NTFPs to community livelihoods in Taraba State were inves...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate the potential of tamarind fruits in jam production with a view to improving utilization efficiency of the fruits thereby adding value to the tree and encouraging its cultivation and sustainable management. The fruits for the study were collected from Bishop Ajayi Crowther University, in Atiba Local Government Area of Oyo town, Oyo State and Taironi Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria. The jam was prepared using variable proportions of...
ABSTRACT This study investigated agricultural students' knowledge and perception of biotechnology issues. The study was carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Ibadan. Proportionate sampling method was used to select a sample size of two hundred and sixty four (264) respondents. Variables measured included respondents' demographics, biotechnology information sources, knowledge and perception. The data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and mean fo...
ABSTRACT Adoption of yield increasing technologies among farming households is one way of reducing poverty and food insecurity. In Nigeria, Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP) was implemented to develop improved technology of root and tuber crops. However, the impact of RTEP technology on poverty and food security has not been fully established. Therefore, the effect of RTEP technology on poverty and food security status of cassava-farming households in southwestern Nigeria was investi...
ABSTRACT Medicinal plants and plant-based medicines are widely used in traditional cultures all over Ghana and they are becoming increasingly popular in modern society as natural alternatives to synthetic chemicals. This paper studied the ethnobotany of medicinal plants through a socio-economic survey. Seed germination experiments were also carried out on selected medicinal plant species. It was found that the herbal medicine industry was a major source of income for 82% of the respondents. A...
ABSTRACT Upsurge in population has resulted in pressure on many tree species including Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn.and Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth. These species are highly valued for their socio economic potentials. The study therefore assessed the contribution of V. paradoxa and P. biglobosa to rural livelihood in Oyo State, Nigeria with a view to generating information on the socio-economic values of the species to the rural communities. Stratified sampling technique was used to div...
ABSTRACT Output price risk has been a perennial challenge to cassava farmers due to their inability to foresee and quantify the level of risk associated with the price of their produce. It was against this background that the study analysed output price risk of cassava in the Volta region of Ghana. Primary data were collected from 500 sampled cassava farmers using structured interview schedule and analysed using descriptive statistics whilst secondary data were analysed using procedures suc...