ABSTRACT Maize (Zea mays L.) is the world third most important cereal crop after rice and wheat. It can been used as fodder crop, food crop for human consumptions, also used as raw material for manufacture of sweetener, starch and biofuel. However, tropical maize breeding is faced by many challenges which are biotic, abiotic and most genotypes are recalcitrant and genotype dependent. In this study, two tropical coastal maize genotypes SC DUMA 43 and DHO4, were evaluated for embryogenesis and...
ABSTRACT Extreme habitats are increasingly being recognized as sources of secondary metabolites which provide an encouraging source for development of novel natural pharmaceuticals. Saline and hot water lakes are now becoming appreciated as rich and untapped reservoirs of extremophilic microorganisms with previously uncharacterized functions. Bacilli, a large homogeneous group of bacteria that survive in a wide range of environmental conditions, is one such microorganism. Formation of resist...
ABSTRACT Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by blood-dwelling flukes of the genus Schistosoma transmitted through freshwater snails. While the disease affects as many as 249 million people worldwide, treatment largely relies on a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ), which is extremely effective against all schistosome species known to infect humans, it is welltolerated in the body, making it suitable for mass treatment campaigns. The near exclusive use of this drug for...
ABSTRACT Groundnut or peanut (Arachis hypogae L.) is one of the principal economic oilseed legumes and is largely cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world. It is an upright or prostrate annual plant. Groundnut contributes significantly to household food security and cash income through the sale of the seeds and also provides a valuable source of proteins, fats, energy and minerals. Developing countries account for nearly 95% of the world production. Groundnu...
ABSTRACT Dumping of urban, industrial and agricultural wastewater has impacted negatively on the water quality of Lake Victoria. A number of studies have documented pollution in the Lake but several gaps have been identified. Firstly, the focus has been on urban catchment areas and so information on rural areas is missing. Additionally, information on the effects of seasonal variation is limited. Also that individual studies are focused on either the physical, chemical or microbial quality bu...
ABSTRACT Groundnuts also known as peanut (Arachis hypongaea L.) and ‘njugu karanga ’locally is one of the principle economic oilseed and is largely cultivated in warm regions of Kenya. Groundnut contributes significantly to domestic food security and cash revenue through the sale of the seeds. The study aimed at evaluating genetic diversity and phenotypic characterization of groundnut varieties grown in some parts of Kenya. Thirty genotypes each from six varieties (ICG83708, ICGV99568, C...
ABSTRACT Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a tropical root crop that serves as a staple food and a vital source of income to small holder farmers in the tropics. Despite its contribution to food security, cassava production and utilization is faced by several challenges that include post-harvest physiological deterioration, insect and disease susceptibilities and accumulation of cyanogenic glycosides. Cassava crop improvement by conventional breeding has failed to address these constrain...
ABSTRACT Solanum nigrum (commonly referred to as black nightshade) are world-wide weeds on arable land, gardens and rubbish pits. Nightshades have been used in the field of medicine in the manufacture of analgesics, ointments and vasodilators. The limited information available on this neglected and underutilized family hinders their development as well as sustainable conservation. Existing knowledge on the genetic potential of these plants is limited and the information regarding the genomic ...
ABSTRACT Schistosomiasis (also known as Bilharzia) is a disease caused by species of parasitic worms or helminths of the genus Schistosoma. It continues to be a serious world wide public health problem. The pathological changes in schistosome infestations are caused mainly by the deposition of the eggs into various tissues and organs where granulomas or pseudo tubercles are formed around them. Schistosomes and their intermediate snail hosts are integral parts of the freshwater aquatic en...
ABSTRACT In Kenya maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important staple food. Owing to its predominant role, food security in the future cannot be achieved without major increases in cereal production. An efficient in vitro regeneration and transformation system holds a great potential for genetic improvement of maize against production constraints. This study was conducted with the objective of assessing the regenerative capacity, genetic transformation of Kenyan maize genotypes and efficacy of ...
ABSTRACT Cassava has been recognized as an important crop to more than 600 million people around the world prompting scientists to look for ways to improve the crop’s nutritive qualities, enhance its resistance to diseases and pests; reduce its levels of cyanide toxicity and reduce the crop’s rate of postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD). To develop improved cassava, genetic engineering is being used as a tool to deliver genes of interest directly into farmer preferred varieties....
ABSTRACT Coffee provides one of the most widely drunk beverages in the world, and is a very important source of foreign exchange income for many countries. In kenya, coffee production has a significant contribution to Kenya‟s economy for decades, and a high proportion of the coffee produced is considered the best quality coffee in the world. In coffee, morphological parameters are very often used to discriminate the varieties and hybrids. However, this exercise has some challenges that incl...
ABSTRACT Rice cooking and eating qualities are mostly determined by the grain’s starch content which is composed of amylose and amylopectin. Amylose content is regarded as the most important indicator in classifying rice varieties in terms of starch content. Waxy gene located on chromosome 6 codes for Granule Bound Starch Synthase (GBBS) enzyme which is involved in biocatalysis of amylose synthesis in rice endosperm. In addition, amylopectin content influences gelatinization temperature in ...
ABSTRACT Finger millet is an important cereal cultivated in Eastern Africa as well as Southern India. It is a staple crop that is characterized by ability to thrive on a variety of environmental conditions, excellent grain storage quality and ability to withstand significant levels of salinity. Scientific research aimed at improving this important cereal has been negligible and it is regarded as one of the orphaned crop species. The aim of this project was to isolate microsatellite markers f...
ABSTRACT The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae is a worldwide aphid species which is responsible for important economic losses. Its feed on more than 50 plant families, causing great losses to agro industrial crops, vegetables, horticultural crops and stone fruits and it is presently categorized as one of the most important agricultural pests worldwide. Conventional insecticides used for aphids control are expensive and arguably associated with various severe adverse side effects hence the n...