Uganda Journal of Agricultural Science (UJAS)
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Effect of inter-row spacing and plant stand per hill on the yield of cowpea.
Get PDFF.ield experiments were conducted to determine whether change in inter-row spacing and plant stand per blllaffeds grain yreld of the new improved cowpea lines. Yield was used to determined the best inter-row spacing and plant stand per bill for three new improved high yieldlng cowpea Vigna unguicuJata lines at Serere Agricultural and Animal P.roduction Research Institute (SAARI). Three inter-row spacing (30 x 30, 45 x 30, and 75 x 30 em) wen compared with the recommended spacing of 60 x 30 em, while one plant per bill compared with two plants per hill. The widest inter-row spacing (75 x 30 em) gave the lowest yield in the three lines. The same trend was observed in both fint and second rainy seasons. The highest yield Was obtained at a spacing of45 X 30 em. UM!er this spacing (45 X 30 em) one plant per hill r~ulted in bigber yields, while under 75 x 30 em, spacing two plants per hole gave the highest yield. Thus a spacing of 45 x 30 em appears to be the optimal for the three cowpea lines, with one pla.nt per hill instead of two plants. Line DVTB consistently out yielded DVTA and DVT. Lighter rains of second rains of 1997 favoured cowpea grain yield resulting in highest yields obtained in this season. The effect of seasons on the three lines was not consistent
Current research trends on coffee wilt disease tracheomycosis
Get PDFCoffee is an important and leading cash crop in Uganda. Pests and diseases are among the major production constraints,which reduce both productivity and quality of coffee. Coffee wilt disease due to Fusarium xylarioides Steyaert (Gibberellaxylarioidcs Heim & Saccs) on robusta coffee was confirmed in Uganda in 1993 in Bundibugyo district bordering theDemocraticRcpublicofCongo. By the end of 1998, the wilt was confirmed in 18 districts, to the south and east of thepoint of origin. Disease incidence varies from a few infected trees to over 90°/o tree mortality. The control measuresbeing implemented are sensitisation offarmers and civic leaders about the disease, urging farmers to cut and burnltfi'ected trees in situ, restriction of movement of on hulled coffee, a ban on use of coffee husks as mulch in coffee andreplanting on new land. Little information is available on the biology and epidemiology of the disease, which wouldform a basis for formulating control measures. Considerable loss of trees and in revenue is likely to continue in theabsence of effective control measures. There is, therefore, urgent need to intensify research in these areas to identifysources of resistance which are basic in formulating effective control strategies. This paper examines researchdirected towards the search for durable solution to the coffee wilt problem
A century of soils research and development in Uganda
Get PDFIn the early stages, Uganda's soils were considered fertile and little was done to improve productivity in a systematicway. However it was soon realized that crop yields in Uganda declined under continuous cultivation due to soil degradationlike anywhere else. Initial studies on liming and fertilizers indicated little crop response. Efforts then turned tounderstanding processes associated with land rests which revealed the importance of both soil chemical and physicalproperties. The result were recommendations to use a combination of organic materials, crop rotations, grass restsand soil and water conservation practices to improve and sustain soil productivity. Studies were also conducted tounderstand the causes of infertile patches in the country like ' lunyu ' soils in central Uganda and sterile acid swamps.Research on fertilizer use was intensified after the second world war and focused on the annual cropping systems.Interim fertilizer recommendations for the major crops ofthat time were released in 1973. Soil resource inventoriesstarted in 1933 LProvisional soil map of East AfriCa) followed by a reconnaissance soil resources inventory between1955 to 1960. There have been also more detailt:d soil surveys for specific clients. More recent soils research hasfocused on integrating soil productivity management through use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, biological ·nitrogen fix~tion, rotations, agroforestry and proper soil and water practices
Current status and progress of research on the management of bean root rot complex in south western Uganda
Get PDFBean root rot is the most important disease affecting beans in South Western Uganda. The disease has resulted incomplete loss oft he crop in some areas. At the moment there is urgent need to look for means of reducing the diseaseand revitalizing bean prod uctiou. Them a in ohj ective of this study was to identify control measures that can reduce thedisease on farmers field s. A rapid rural appraisal was carried out to determine the incidence of the disease andidentify the disease causing organisms. Experiments set up included (i) integrated disease management, (ii) varietalresistance and (iii) combination of(i) and (ii). The experimental design in (i) and (iii) was a split plot while in (ii) thedesign was a randomized block design. The disease incidence in the district ranged between 80-100% on farmersfields. It was noted that 75% of the attacked crops were attached by Pytltium spp atone. The other 25% was acombination of Pytlriwn spp with one or both of the following: Fu.mrium so/ani and R!Jizoctonia spp. The use of soilorganic amendments such as farm yard manure, green manure and earthing up was only effective where the diseasewas not very severe when a susceptible variety was used. Where the incidence was high, then these treatments werenot effective. The most tolerant varieties identified were RWR 179, MLB 49/89A, G2333, Flora and Vuninkingi. Acombination offarm yard manure, earthing up and tolerant varieties \\'ith seed dressing with fungicide and insecticidegave the highest yield of 2 tons per hactare as com pared to tolerant va ric ties and green manure that gave a yield of 0. 7tons per ha only. It was therefore concluded that an integrated disease management st~IWO~Ierantvarieties, farm yard manure and earthing up be adopted in order to reduce the disease in South Western Uganda
Efficiency of pheromones and trap types in the capture of the banana weevil cosmopolites sordidus germar in Uganda
Get PDFPheromone traps (Pitfall-cosmolure+, Pitfaii-RMD-1, Gallon-Cosmolure+ and Galloo-RMD-1) were evaluated forefficiency in trapping banana weevils Cosmopolites sordidus Germar under field conditions in Uganda. They werecompared with conventional pseudostem traps, adoption of, which has been slow. The Pitfall-cosmolure+ traps caught18 times the number of weevils as compared to the pseudostem traps that caught a mean of 1.3 weevils per trap per day.The weevil catches of the other three-pheromone traps were significantly lower than the pitfall-cosmolure+ trapcatches and significantly higher than the pseudostem trap catches but similar among themselves. Both male andfemale weevils were equally attracted. The traps attracted weevils mainly from a radius of l 0 metres. Pheromonetrapping appears to have a great potential for integration in other management practices of the banana weevil inUganda
Recent advances in coffee berry disease (CBD) control in Uganda
Get PDFCoffee Berry Disease (CBD) caused by the fungus Colletotrichum kahawae (Waller & Bridge) attacks arabic a coffeein most African arabica coffee growing countries. The disease was first recorded in Uganda in 1959 and surveys onthe disease indicated that up to 50% crop losses were being incurred. Most of the commercial varietjes are stillsusceptible to the disease, and use of chemicals remains the only sure control method available. During early 1970s,fungicides like Ben late (Benomyl50%), Perenox (50% copper) and Captafol (Or·thodifolatan) were tested andrecommended for CBD control. These chemicals became unavailable during mid 1970s and early 1980s. ln the late1980s, the spray programme was reviewed and new chemicals tested for recommendation to farmers. Trials wereconducted on slopes ofMt. Elgon at Buginyanya sub-station at altitude of 1980-2133 mas!. This paper gives anaccount ofthe work done during 1991-1996. Results on CBD incidence and coffee yield on annual basis are presented.The performance of the fungicides varied in years due to a number of reasons. However, Copper based fungicides,namely Nordox 50% and 75% as well as Kocide 101 consistently kept the CBD incidence low and increased coffeeyields by over 50%. Organic based fungicides namely Delao, Benlate and Derosa I (except Dyrene) performed poorestconsistently giving higher disease incidence. The copper tonic effect on coffee performance was also evident. Use ofcopper based fu ngicides- namely Copper Nordox 75% and 50% and Kocide 101 is recommended for CBD control.Dyrene could be considered as an alternative fungicide
Towards improving highland bananas
Get PDFBanana is an important food crop in Uganda. Its production per unit land area has declined doe to pests and diseases andsoil fertility depletion. Host plant resistance is a recommended intervention. However, banana breeding is technicallydifficult because oflow female fertilitv. The landraces in the field gene bank at Kawanda were pollinated with pollenfrom the wild banana 'Calcutta 4' to e~aluate them for seed fertility. Out ofthe 62 clones screened, 33 were seed-fertile.The most fertile land races belonged to 'Nakabululu' and 'Nfuuka' clone sets. Viable seeds were obtained from severalland races indicating that genetic improvement ofthese highland bananas through cross breeding is possible. Thefertile Iandraces should be cross-pollinated with improved diploids to produce resistant hybrids
Communication as key to effective operationalization of integrated approach to rural development
No full textHuman communication involves exchange or sharing of ideas, facts, information, feelings, opinions and impression in order to create an area of common understanding to accelerate or cause action. This paper cites examples of how communication made projects succeed and how other projects failed due to lack of, or poor communication. It gives models that explain how communication can facilitate the operationalisation of integrated approach to rural development
Serosurvey of Brucella abortus in cattle and goats in central and southern Uganda
No full textA serological survey was undertaken from April 1990 to February 1993, to determine the exposure experience to Brucella abortus in cattle and goats in central and southern Uganda. Three serological tests, the standard tube agglutination test (SAT); rose bengal plate test (RBPT) and the milk ring test (MRT) were used. Samples in cluded blond from slaughter cattle (1,055) and goats (271), both from public abattoirs, as well as live cattle (676) from farms. Milk samples were collected from individual cows (208) on the various farms and from several milk collecting centres (364). For cattle, 14.7% (n=1,731) sera were positive by the RBPT and 12.5% (n=1,731) by SAT. The seropositivity for brucellosis as revealed by testing milk from individual dairy cows was 9.6% (n=208) as opposed to 38.5% (n=364) from milk collecting centres which included milk from local cows. From goats,8.9% (n=271) were positive by RBPT and 7% (n=271) by SAT. The prevalence was higher on farms with indigenous, 16.15% (n=291 ), than on farms with exotic breeds of cattle, 7.51% (n=303); and this was attributed to the better sanitary and husbandry methods in farms with exotic breeds. This has been the first comprehensive survey combining detection of antibodies in both serum and milk in cattle in Uganda and the most extensive in the Central and Southern regions of the country in particular. It has revealed a high prevalence of Brucella abortus infection among these food animals in the two regions, pointing tu both the potential for economic importance as well as the public health risk of this disease. Thus, there is need for instituting control measures
Profitability of Eucalyptus growing in Busiro, Mpigi District, Uganda
No full textThe demand for forest products, such as wood for construction, fuel and furniture-making is ever increasing; yet the supply of woody products from the existing forest resources is decreasing. In addition to government's effort to encourage farmers to grow forest trees, farmers need to be assured that their investments in forest tree growing is worthwhile. The paper examines the worthiness of investments in eucalyptus growing with the view of advising farmers on forest tree growing using empirical evidence. It is based on data collected over a period of four yean (1993-1997) from three eucayptus farmers found in Busiro County, Mpigi District. The worthiness of investments in eucalyptus growing has been determined using the net present value (NPV) criterion. It has been proved that investments in eucalyptus growing in perpetuity (forever) and being harvested on a four (4) year rotation period can earn a present value of a perpetual periodic annuity of Ug. shs 4,553,162