Uganda Journal of Agricultural Science (UJAS)
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Heavy Metals in Heterobranchus Longifilis (Cuvier And Valenciennes, 1840) Cultured in Earthen Ponds in Selected Communities in Warri Metropolis, Nigeria
Get PDFAbstract. The concentrations of Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) in Heterobranchus longifilis (Mean total length= 40.52 cm; mean weight=563.25 g) cultured in earthen ponds in Warri, Nigeria, were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrometric technique in order to provide baseline data and to ascertain the suitability of such fish for consumption. The mean concentrations of metals in H. longifilis, ranged from 0.13 mg/kg for Cd in January to 72.51 mg/kg for Cu in June with significant differences (p<0.05) observed in the mean concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn in fish between months. The mean concentrations of metals in H. longifilis, ranged from 0.12 mg/kg for Cd at Jeddo to 69.27 mg/kg for Cu at Ubeji with significant differences (p<0.05) observed in the mean concentration of Zn in fish between stations. The bioaccumulation quotient (BQ) values ranged from 0.50 for Cd at Jeddo to 37.24 for Cu at Oboroke while the hazard quotient (HQ) ranged from 0.39 for Zn to 3.43 for Pb. The maximum acceptable risk (MAR) values ranged from 0.02 for Pb at Ekpan to 6.29 for Zn at Ubeji while the estimated average daily intake (EADI) of heavy metals ranged from 0.09 mg/person/day for Cd to 36.13 mg/person/day for Cu. It was concluded that Cd, Cu and Pb were the metals that presented a potential risk to the consuming public and that the heavy metal content in earthen ponds should be routinely monitored in order to keep metal levels within safe limits
Factors Influencing Adoption of Improved Robusta Coffee Technologies in Uganda
Get PDFAbstract. This paper draws from a cross sectional survey of 252 coffee households and 8 key informants to examine the economic, farmer and institutional factors influencing adoption of improved Robusta coffee production technologies in Uganda. Data was subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. A logit model was estimated to ascertain the factors and their influence on adoption of improved coffee production technologies. Results revealed that access to credit, availability of off-farm income, level of education, labour availability and access to extension services significantly influenced adoption. Size of land holding, gender and age (of farmer) had no significant influence on adoption, suggesting that improved coffee technologies are mostly scale, gender and age neutral. It was concluded that coffee households’ agricultural technology adoption decisions depend on their economic circumstances, farmer characteristic and institutional effectiveness
Utilisation and conservation status of indigenous woody plant species in a sedentary pastoral production system in south-western Uganda
Get PDFIndigenous woody plant species play a significant role in sustaining pastoral production systemsin sub-Saharan Africa. Outside protected areas in Uganda, populations of useful naturallygrowing woody species are threatened with extinction. Moreover, little is known about thepopulation structure of woody plant species in such unprotected sites to guide conservationstrategies. The objective of this study was to identify indigenous woody plant species utilisedby the pastoralists in the dry lands of south western Uganda and assess the population structureof the species utilized. A survey involving 100 households was conducted to inventorise woodyplants in 55 nested plots of 50 m × 50 m. A total of 70 indigenous woody plant species wereutilised by the pastoralists to serve nine purposes. High utilisation of the plant species was inthe order of medicine for humans and livestock, firewood, fodder, timber, poles, shade, food andleast in crafts. The major woody plant species utilised included Vernonia ammygdalina,Acacia sieberriana, Acacia hockii, Carissa edulis and Albizia coriaria. Allophylus sp wasvaluable for all the nine purposes, though particularly for human medicine and poles.In termsof conservation status,trees conformed to inverse J shape and bimodal patterns of populationstructure, indicating current sustainable conservation in some species and an imbalance inspecies with a bimodal pattern. Most shrubs reflected irregular population structure indicativeof unsustainable conservation status. Seedlings for both trees and shrubs were in the low levelof abundance, according to Braun- Blanquette cover scale. Sustainable conservation ofindigenous woody plant species in a sedentary pastoral system requires aided regeneratio
Household perception of climate change in wetland adjacent areas in Uganda
Get PDFClimate change is a major cause of food insecurity in developing countries, like Uganda wherethe poor people and small scale farmers have limited options for adaptation. Households adjacentto wetlands often adapt to climate change by depending on them for food security. However,interventions for climate change adaptation in developing countries are often poorly targeteddue to insufficient data on climate trends. The objective of this study was to determine householdperception of climate change in wetland adjacent areas, to inform climate change and adaptationpolicy in Uganda. The study was conducted at two sites, Lake Nakivale wetland system inIsingiro district (south-western Uganda) and Lake Kyoga basin wetland systems in Pallisadistrict (eastern Uganda). The study employed a cross sectional design, using a semi-structuredquestionnaire, and surveyed a total of 520 households. Results of the study show that a majority(92%) of the households were aware of climate change. Climate change was perceived byhouseholds in form of prolonged dry weather (54%) and hotter and drier seasons (34%).Over 90% of the respondents had noticed climate change in various forms: increasedtemperature (92%), decreased rainfall (95%), changes in the length of seasons (97%), morefrequent droughts (93%), more severe droughts (92%) and more severe floods in Pallisa.Households perceived climate change in the form of increased temperatures and droughts,and generally had a gloomy outlook for the future, insisting that climate change will be moresevere than currently experienced. More households in Isingiro district perceived climatechange to be more severe in the future than expected (χ2(2) =43.67, P<0.001). Owing to theperception of more frequent and severe droughts and reduced rainfall, households aroundwetlands will continue to use wetlands for farming and other livelihood needs. Thus, unless
wetland farmers (a) integrate wetland conservation by employing climate smart practices likeminimum tillage, soil and water conservation, and (b) diversify their livelihoods throughcommercially viable initiatives like fish farming, household food security and sustainabilityof wetlands will be further jeopardized
Effect of intercropping sunflower with soybean at different interrow and intra-row spacing on land use efficiency
Get PDFSunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and soybean (Glycine max) were relatively new crops of economicsignificance in Uganda before 1990s compared to traditional cash crops such as cotton, tea andcoffee. By 2000 many smallholder farmers in the Mid-Northern Agro-ecological Zone of Ugandastarted planting sunflower and soybean as sources of household income. However, sunflower andsoybean are planted in same piece of land using different planting patterns that may lead todifferences in yields. This study evaluated the effect of inter-row and intra-row spacing on yieldsof sunflower and soybean intercrop. A 4 x 4 factorial experiment in a randomized complete blockdesign was used to determine performance of sunflower and soybean under four inter-row spacings(75, 90, 105 and 120 cm) and four intra-row spacings (30, 40, 50 and 60 cm) and sole sunflower andsole soybean. Under intercrop, a ratio of 1:1 sunflower/soybean was used. Sole sunflower wasplanted at 90 cm x 30 cm; while sole soybean was planted at 50 cm x 25 cm. Mean yields ofsunflower from intercrop were 2517 and 1219 kg ha-1, compared to 3241 and 1655 kg ha-1 from solesunflower at Acwec Omio and Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute(NgeZARDI), respectively. Yield of soybean was 1100 and 2978 kg ha-1 (p<0.01), compared to 3364and 2590 kgha-1 from sole soybean at Acwec Omio and NgeZARDI, respectively. The highest LandEquivalent Ratios (LER) were 1.29 at inter-row spacing of 90 cm between rows and 1.25 at intrarow spacing of 30 cm within rows. The lowest LER of 0.8 was from 120 cm x 60 cm spacing. Anintercrop between sunflower and soybean at a spacing of 90 cm between rows and 30 cm withinrows, was the most appropriate, since LER were above 1.2, an indication that land was efficientlyutilized. Sunflower can be intercropped with soybean, enabling farmers to raise income bycultivating two crops in same piece of land, above all conserve the fertility of land
Histo-morphological description of the digestive system of the Rippon Barbel Barbus altianals (Boulenger 1900): A potential species for culture
Get PDFMorphology of the digestive system can help define the feeding adaptation habits of a given fish species in a given environment. In a study to describe the nature and functionality of the digestive system of Barbus altianalis, samples of B. altianalis were taken from River Nile. Their Lengths and weights were measured and the gut structure preserved. The structure of the digestive tract of the B. altianalis was described using simple morphological observations and standard histological procedures. The digestive tube of B. altianalis is stomachless and valveless, progressively and uniformly reducing in size from the proximal to distal end. The digestive tract is on average 2.22 ± 0.37 times longer than its body length. The mouth is terminal and protrusible and pharyngeal palatal organ is well developed. The last gill arch is modified into pharyngeal teeth and the eosophagus is short and muscular. Histological sections revealed the presence of taste buds from the lips to the cranial eosophagus and these regions of the digestive tract are lined by a stratified squamous epithelium. The intestines are lined by simple or pseudo stratified columnar epithelial layer which is highly folded. Goblet cells containing both acidic and neutral mucins are present throughout the entire digestive tract and are more numerous in the pharynx and the proximal part of the intestine. Lobes of pancreatic acini are discrete and scattered among liver cells, around the intestine and few are seen in the spleen surrounding blood vessels. Thus, the liver could most accurately be termed a hepatopancreas structure
Trends in variability and extremes of rainfall and temperature in the cattle corridor of Uganda
Get PDFA study was conducted to determine trends of variability and extremes in rainfall and temperature in order to inform stakeholder’s decisions in planning for appropriate adaptation strategies to climate change. Daily rainfall and temperature data sets from 1961 to 2013 were used. Data were subjected to trend analysis using non-parametric Mann-Kendall tests while rainfall and temperature extremes were derived using RClimdex software. Coefficient of variation (CV) in annual rainfall was 25.3, 12.9 and 16.3 % for Mbarara, Masindi and Soroti respectively. Mean daily maximum temperatures were 26.7, 29.6 and 30.8 oC for Mbarara, Masindi and Soroti respectively. Annual total wet days were increasing but not significant (P>0.05). Consecutive wet days (CWD) were increasing only in Mbarara while consecutive dry days, CDDs revealed weak declining trends in Mbarara and stronger significant increasing trends in Soroti (P<0.05). The number of hot days (TX90p) and warm nights (TN90p) was significantly increasing (P< 0.05) in Mbarara and Masindi. The number of warmest nights (TNx) and hottest days (TXx) was also significantly increasing (P<0.05). Mean diurnal temperature range, DTR showed significant decreasing trends in Mbarara and Masindi (P<0.05) while in Soroti it was significantly increasing. The observed increasing temperatures, coupled with declining CWDs and increasing CDDs will most likely result into increased heat stress to livestock, drying of most surface water sources and changes in pasture species composition thus causing a decline in livestock productivity
Technical efficiency in rice ecologies of north central Nigeria: Implications for national self-sufficiency
Get PDFThe quest for national self-sufficiency in rice production in Nigeria has been on for several years, with various government regimes putting different policies and programs in place in order to achieve this. A large proportion of the rice produced in Nigeria comes from the north central part, with Niger State being the second largest rice producing state in north central Nigeria. The study was carried out to examine the technical efficiency and its determinants within the rice ecologies in north central Nigeria. Through the multi-stage sampling technique, one hundred and fiftyone farmers were sampled for the study. Two mini-ecologies were identified within the lowland rice ecology in the study area, namely, River Basin Authority Catchment area (RBAC) and Non River Basin Authority Catchment area (NRBAC). Differentials in rice output were determined with the Chow test while the stochastic frontier production approach was employed to determine the technical efficiency on the individual farms. There were variations in output between the mini-ecologies, while rice output was significantly influenced by farm size, quantities of fertilisers, labour and herbicides used in rice production. Average technical efficiency measures were 70.9 and 93.6% for the identified mini-ecologies namely River Basin Authority Catchment area (RBAC) and Non River Basin Authority Catchment area (NRBAC). Variables such as extension visits and level of commercialisation had significant effects on the observed variations in technical efficiency among the rice farmers. Results indicate that there is a considerable scope for increased efficiency to meet current national rice demand
Effect of plant spacing and variety on weed and performance of orange-fleshed sweet potato in humid agro-ecological zone of Nigeria
Get PDFAmong the crops grown in the tropics, sweet potato ranks second after cassava. Field research wasconducted at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, south-eastern Nigeria, toevaluate the response of orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties to intra-row spacing. Treatmentsincluded four varieties (Umuspo 1, Umuspo 3, Ex-Igbariam and Ex-Oyunga) and three intra – rowspacings (20, 30 and 40 cm). Weed density and growth decreased, but sweetpotato leaf area index(LAI), fresh shoot biomass and storage root yield increased significantly (P<0.05) at the closerspacing (20 cm) than at the wider spacings (30 and 40 cm). Umuspo 1 had higher LAI and shootbiomass; and suppressed weeds more than other varieties. Also, storage root yield of Umuspo 1(27.2t/ha) was significantly higher than that of Umuspo 3, Ex-Igbariam and Ex-Oyunga by 35, 103and 325%, respectively
Implications of fuel wood scarcity on livelihoods of rural communities of Nyarubuye Sub-County in Kisoro District, south western Uganda
Get PDFFuelwood scarcity is evident in south western Uganda, where households are using sorghum andmaize stalks for cooking as alternatives to the traditional fuelwood. The aim of the study was toassess the implications of fuelwood scarcity on livelihoods of rural communities in Nyarubuyesub-county in Kisoro district in south western Uganda. Systematic random sampling techniqueswere used to select participating households for the study. Data were collected using directobservation and interviews, using a structured questionnaire that was administered to 80households in Busengo and Karambi parishes. Face to face interviews were held with keyinformants, using a checklist. The study showed that the main drivers of fuelwood scarcity inNyarubuye Sub-county include: land shortage, rapid increase in population, change of land usefrom communal forested land to crop growing only, lack of integration of trees on farm, inefficientmethods of cooking and brick burning. The study also showed that the implications of fuelwoodscarcity on livelihoods in the study area were adverse and greatly affected women, as compared tomen. They included sickening of eyes, breathing difficulties, snake bites and body dislocations,increased domestic violence (wife beating) and sexual abuse (rape), school attendanceinconsistencies for school going children, loss of tree cover and low crop yields. Suggested strategiesto reduce fuelwood scarcity in area include: promotion of on farm tree planting activities(agroforestry) and energy saving technologies, availing alternative energy sources such aselectricity, enhancing family planning methods, skilling of communities on income generationenterprises especially girls. A byelaw on school children with emphasis on girls to collect firewoodduring weekends only should be formulated and enforced