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Preparation and Characterization of Groundnut Shell-Based Activated Charcoal
Get PDFGroundnut shell, an agricultural waste was used as a precursor for the
preparation of activated charcoal using zinc chloride as a chemical
activating agent. The results of the optimization studies showed that
the activated charcoal had best iodine adsorption capacity at 1.0 mol
dm-3 activator\u2019s concentration, 2:1 impregnation ratio, 70
\u2103 impregnation temperature, 12 hr impregnation time, 500 \u2103
activation temperature, and 2hr activation time. The surface chemistry
of the adsorbent was studied by Fourier transform infra-red
spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy\u2013energy dispersive
X-ray spectroscopy. The activated charcoal was found to contain porous
structures with adsorption capacities significantly correlated with
iodine value, porosity, and surface area. The surface morphology of the
activated charcoal was altered as compared with the un-activated
product, signifying that the adsorbent had been chemically modified.
The disappearance of some functional groups and shift in some
absorption bands were further indication that surface structural
modification took place during activation and carbonization.This
research has revealed that groundnut shell could be employed for the
production of an alternative adsorbent which can be utilize for
filtration and detoxification of impure water, treatment of effluent
and wastewater, adsorption of pesticides, heavy metals and dyes from
aqueous media
Genetic Variability and Vegetative Compatibility in Aspergillus niger Isolated from Various Food Substances in Benin City Nigeria
Get PDFIn this investigation, Aspergillus niger isolated from eight food
substances, have been classified based on the absence of heterokaryon
formation. The size of their sporangia were differentiated, the wild
and mutant strains were subjected to vegetative compatibility tests in
order to group them into different vegetative compatibility groups
(VCGs) which include VCG-1, VCG-2, VCG-3 and VCG-4. The strains were
further tested for the possible formation of a stable heterokaryon
using nit mutants generated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) containing
2.5% chlorate (KClO3), represented as PDC. Based on the vegetative
compatibility groups, nit mutants were paired on a minimal medium (MM)
for complementation test. Interestingly, there was compatibility with
mycelia showing anastomoses but without the formation of heterokaryon.
The vegetative compatibility groups suggested four genotypes and
polymorphism in the het loci. A population study for detailed
genotyping is suggested in order to unravel the genetic recombination
in A. niger
Remediation of Crude Oil Contaminated Soil, Using Organic Supplement: Effects on Growth and Heavy Metal Uptake in Cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz)
Get PDFField experiments were conducted in 2016 and repeated in 2017 to
evaluate the effectiveness of Oil Palm Bunch Ash (OPBA) and Dried
Poultry manure (DPM) as organic supplement, applied singly and in
combination on growth properties and heavy metal uptake of cassava
cultivars grown in crude-oil contaminated soil of the Niger Delta
Region, Nigeria. There were four different organic amendments viz: DPM,
OPBA, OPBA +DPM and control using TMS 30572, NR8082 and local variety
as test crops. Results were elaborated statistically with the use of
three-by-four factor variance analysis with ANOVA. Effect of various
application of amendment on morphometric parameters of cultivars
revealed in 2017 that at 36 weeks after sprouting (WAS), DPM and OPBA
+DPM significantly (P 64 0.05) enhanced plant heights of TMS 3572
and LV but had no influence on number of nodes, stem girth and leaf
area. However, the interactions resulted in significant (P 64 0.05)
uptake and concentration of the heavy metals Fe, Cu, and Pb in leaves
and Fe in roots of TMS30572 and NR8082, indicating efficient metal
removal by these varieties. Results of amendment also revealed
remarkable increment in bacterial and fungal (from 104 to 106 and 103
to 104) populations respectively, correlating with reduction in soil
total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) from 156.45 mg/kg to 146.73 mg/Kg.
This is observed to diminish oil toxicity and improve soil status. The
response of these cassava varieties to crude oil contamination appears
to be optimistic. Consequently crop farmers are adviced against
planting cassava and other arable crop at crude oil impacted soil for
the risk of uptake of heavy metal in crop tissues
Effect of Light Intensities on Growth Performance of Tetrapleura tetraptera Seedlings Schum. (Thonn.)
Get PDFThe study assessed the effect of varying light intensities and optimum
percentage of sunlight favourable for raising Tetrapleura tetraptera
seedlings. The light intensity was measured through photometer. The
experiment was subjected to a control without wire mesh(T1) and three
other treatments (T2, T3 and T4) covered with different layers of black
wire mesh with 99.5%, 75%, 49.8% and 25% light intensities
respectively. Each of the treatments was replicated six times in a
completely randomized design. The plant height, leaf production and
stem diameter were all monitored for 12 weeks. Analysis of Variance
(ANOVA) was employed and the means separated using Least Significant
Difference (LSD). The results showed that the significance effect (P =
\u3b10.05) was only observed in the seedlings height of
Tetrapleuratetrapteraseedlings. However, the mean values obtained for
all the parameters considered revealed the treatment 1(i.e. 99.8% wire
mesh) was observed to be the best performing treatment. For the plant
height, mean value ranged between 13.09 cm and 16.8 cm, a range from
0.22cm to 0.28mm was recorded for stem girth while the mean values
between 22 and 27 were obtained for number of leaves among the
treatments. It may be concluded from the study, that light intensity of
100% i.e without interference should be used for the growth and
development as well as production of Tetrapleura tetraptera seedlings
in the nursery
Assessment of Occupational Satisfaction on Performance among Employees of a Forest Resources Management Institution in Nigeria
Get PDFAn organization usually sees an average worker as the source of quality
and productivity gains. The study examined the impact of occupational
satisfaction on performance among employees of a Forest Resources
Management institution in Nigeria using a structured questionnaire for
data collection. The data analysis from the study revealed that
employee\u2019s level of education enhanced job satisfaction.
Furthermore, chi-square results showed that there was no significant
relationship (p>0.05) between personal characteristics and their
satisfaction level. In addition, correlation results showed that there
was a significant relationship between job satisfaction and employee
performance. Thus, the study recommends that organizations should
intensify efforts in the area of non-financial rewards as a means of
influencing greater performance from the employees as well as getting
more employee commitment to the organization
INTROGRESSION OF DROUGHT TOLERANCE ROOT TRAITS INTO KENYAN COMMERCIAL CHICKPEA VARIETIES USING MARKER ASSISTED BACKCROSSING
Get PDFRoots play critical roles in enhancing drought tolerance, more so under
terminal drought conditions. The objective of this study was to
introgress drought tolerant root traits into Kenyan chickpea varieties
through marker assisted backcrossing (MABC). Eight simple sequence
repeat (SSR) markers, linked to quantitative trait loci (QTL) for root
traits, were used to screen parents at ICRISAT in India, and 1144
single nucleotide polymorphic (SNPs) markers at Legume Genomics Centre
in the United Kingdom. Crosses were made between two selected
varieties, ICCV 92944 (Chania Desi II) and ICCV 00108 (LDT 068); and
ICC 4958, QTL donor parent. Polymorphic SSR and SNP markers were used
to select offspring with root QTL at F1, BC1F1, and BC2F1, and later
advanced to BC2F3. BC2F3 families were evaluated for root traits at
Egerton University in Kenya in a pot experiment under rain shelter. The
BC2F3 families were significantly (P<0.05) different for root dry
weight (RDW), shoot dry weight (SDW), total plant dry weight (PDW), and
root to shoot dry weight (R/S) ratio (R/S) for Chania Desi II x ICC
4958; while R/S was significantly different for LDT 068 x ICC 4958.
Root length density (RLD) and RDW were positively and significantly
(P<0.05) correlated with most of the traits, indicating its
usefulness in the indirect selection of these traits. The utilisation
of MABC is an effective and efficient method of introgressing complex
root traits into commercial lines, expected to improve yields under
drought. There is need for deployment of marker-assisted breeding in
difficult to phenotypically select traits.Les racines jouent un r\uf4le essentiel dans
l\u2019am\ue9lioration de la tol\ue9rance \ue0 la
s\ue9cheresse, plus encore en cas de s\ue9cheresse terminale.
L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019introduire des
traits de racine tol\ue9rants \ue0 la s\ue9cheresse dans des
vari\ue9t\ue9s Kenyannes de chickpea par r\ue9trocroisement
assist\ue9 par marqueurs (MABC). Huit marqueurs de
r\ue9p\ue9tition de s\ue9quence simple (SSR), li\ue9s \ue0
des locus de traits quantitatifs (QTL) pour les traits racinaires, ont
\ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9s pour s\ue9lectionner les parents \ue0
l\u2019ICRISAT en Inde, et 1144 marqueurs polymorphes \ue0 un seul
nucl\ue9otide (SNP) au Legume Genomics Center au Royaume-Uni. Des
croisements ont \ue9t\ue9 r\ue9alis\ue9s entre deux
vari\ue9t\ue9s s\ue9lectionn\ue9es, ICCV 92944 (Chania Desi II)
et ICCV 00108 (LDT 068) ; et ICC 4958, parent donneur QTL. Des
marqueurs SSR et SNP polymorphes ont \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9s pour
s\ue9lectionner la prog\ue9niture avec un QTL racine \ue0 F1,
BC1F1 et BC2F1, puis avanc\ue9 \ue0 BC2F3. Les familles BC2F3 ont
\ue9t\ue9 \ue9valu\ue9es pour les traits racinaires \ue0
l\u2019Universit\ue9 d\u2019Egerton au Kenya dans une
exp\ue9rience en pot sous abri contre la pluie. Les familles BC2F3
\ue9taient significativement diff\ue9rentes (P<0,05) pour le
poids sec des racines (RDW), le poids sec des pousses (SDW), le poids
sec total de la plante (PDW) et le rapport poids sec des racines sur
les pousses (R/S) (R/S ) pour Chania Desi II x ICC 4958\ua0; tandis
que R/S \ue9tait significativement diff\ue9rent pour LDT 068 x ICC
4958. La densit\ue9 de longueur des racines (RLD) et RDW \ue9taient
corr\ue9l\ue9es positivement et significativement (P < 0,05)
avec la plupart des traits, indiquant son utilit\ue9 dans la
s\ue9lection indirecte de ces traits. L\u2019utilisation de MABC est
une m\ue9thode efficace et efficiente d\u2019introgression de traits
racinaires complexes dans des lign\ue9es commerciales, cens\ue9e
am\ue9liorer les rendements en p\ue9riode de s\ue9cheresse. Il
est n\ue9cessaire de d\ue9ployer la s\ue9lection assist\ue9e
par marqueurs dans les caract\ue8res difficiles \ue0
s\ue9lectionner ph\ue9notypiquement
VALUE CHAIN OF Balanites aegyptiaca IN NORTH KORDOFAN STATE IN SUDAN
Get PDFBalanites aegyptiaca (L.) is considered as one of the valuable tree
species in Sudan. This study interrogated different actors involved in
B. aegyptiaca value chain to estimate the gross margins associated with
their segments. The study was conducted during season 2019 in Sheikan
Locality, North Kordofan State in Sudan, and involved 86 household head
(10% of the population). Results indicated that value chain actors of
B. aegyptiaca included fruit collectors, village traders, city
merchants, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. Based on gross
margins, the wholesalers were the most benefited (36.4%) in the chain,
followed by village traders (33.4%), city merchants (17.6%), collectors
(9.65%) and lastly retailers (2.94%). It is clear that B. aegyptiaca
value chain is mostly influenced by actors at local level.Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) est consid\ue9r\ue9e comme l\u2019une
des esp\ue8ces d\u2019arbres les plus pr\ue9cieuses au Soudan.
Cette \ue9tude a interrog\ue9 diff\ue9rents acteurs
impliqu\ue9s dans la cha\ueene de valeur de B. aegyptiaca pour
estimer les marges brutes associ\ue9es \ue0 leurs segments.
L\u2019\ue9tude a \ue9t\ue9 men\ue9e au cours de la saison
2019 dans la localit\ue9 de Sheikan, dans l\u2019\uc9tat du
Kordofan du Nord au Soudan. L\u2019\ue9tude a impliqu\ue9 86 chefs
de m\ue9nage (10 % de la population). Les r\ue9sultats ont
indiqu\ue9 que les acteurs de la cha\ueene de valeur de B.
aegyptiaca comprenaient des collecteurs de fruits, des commer\ue7ants
de village, des commer\ue7ants de ville, des grossistes, des
d\ue9taillants et des consommateurs. Sur la base des marges brutes,
les grossistes ont \ue9t\ue9 les plus avantag\ue9s (36,4 %) de la
fili\ue8re, suivis des commer\ue7ants villageois (33,4 %), des
commer\ue7ants de la ville (17,6 %), des collecteurs (9,65 %) et
enfin des d\ue9taillants (2,94 %). Il est clair que la cha\ueene de
valeur de B. aegyptiaca est principalement influenc\ue9e par des
acteurs au niveau local
EFFICACY OF VEGETABLE OIL EXTRACTS FOR CONTROL OF INSECT PESTS OF TOMATO IN SOUTHERN BENIN
Get PDFPests are a menace to production of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum
Mill.) in sub-Sahara Africa. The objective of this study was to
evaluate the efficacy of oil extracts of selected common plants for
control of pests of tomato in Benin. The study was carried out on the
Togba market garden sites in Benin. The botanical pesticides (
Tephrosia purpurea , Ricinus communis , Thevetia neriifolia and
Cashew Nut Shell Cold Liquid (CNSL cold) were compared with a
biological insecticide (Topbio), a synthetic insecticide (Lambda
cyhalothrin) and an untreated negative control. The fish model and the
generalised linear mixed or fixed effects model were used to explain
the number of caterpillars per plot as a function of the products
tested during the different plant phases. Tephrosia purpurea oil, cold
CNSL, Topbio and lambda cyhalothrin treatments significantly reduced H.
armigera, S. littoralis and T. absoluta populations. The average yields
of marketable tomato ranged from 7.20 \ub1 0.89 t ha-1 for the
controls and 21.14 \ub1 3.56 and 20.46\ub11.98 t ha-1 for the plots
treated with Tephrosia purpurea and CNSL cold on tomato, respectively.
Plots treated with the synthetic insecticide lambda cyhalothrin gave
the best yields (31.15\ub13.20 t ha-1). Of all the extracts tested,
cold extracted CNSL and T. purpurea oil showed very high larvicidal
activity at doses of 10%, compared to R. communis and T. neriifolia oil
on the farm. The larvicidal activity of the extracts observed at low
doses on H. armigera and S. littoralis larvae seems to offer an
alternative advantage for the control of tomato pests.Les ravageurs sont une menace pour la production de tomate
(Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) en Afrique sub-saharienne.
L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019\ue9valuer
l\u2019efficacit\ue9 des extraits d\u2019huile de Tephrosia
purpurea, Ricinus communis, Thevetia neriifolia et Cashew Nut Shell
Cold Liquid (CNSL cold) pour le contr\uf4le des ravageurs de la
tomate. L\u2019\ue9tude a \ue9t\ue9 r\ue9alis\ue9e sur les
sites mara\ueechers de Togba au B\ue9nin. Les pesticides botaniques
ont \ue9t\ue9 compar\ue9s \ue0 un insecticide biologique
(Topbio), un insecticide de synth\ue8se (Lambda cyhalothrine) et un
t\ue9moin n\ue9gatif non trait\ue9. Le mod\ue8le poisson
z\ue8bre et le mod\ue8le lin\ue9aire g\ue9n\ue9ralis\ue9
\ue0 effets mixtes ou fixes ont \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9s pour
expliquer le nombre de chenilles par parcelle \ue9l\ue9mentaire en
fonction des produits test\ue9s lors des diff\ue9rentes phases de
la plante. Les traitements \ue0 l\u2019huile de Tephrosia purpurea,
au CNSL cold, au Topbio et \ue0 la lambda cyhalothrine ont
significativement r\ue9duit les populations de H. armigera, S.
littoralis et T. absoluta. 20,46\ub11,98 t ha-1 pour les parcelles
trait\ue9es respectivement avec Tephrosia purpurea et CNSL cold sur
tomate. Les parcelles trait\ue9es avec l\u2019insecticide de
synth\ue8se lambda cyhalothrine ont donn\ue9 les meilleurs
rendements (31,15\ub13,20 t ha-1). De tous les extraits test\ue9s,
l\u2019huile de CNSL cold et de T. Purpurea extraite a montr\ue9 une
activit\ue9 larvicide tr\ue8s \ue9lev\ue9e \ue0 des doses de
10% par rapport \ue0 l\u2019huile de R. communis et de T. neriifolia
\ue0 la ferme. L\u2019activit\ue9 larvicide des extraits
observ\ue9e \ue0 faible dose sur les larves de H. armigera et S.
littoralis semble offrir un avantage alternatif pour la lutte contre
les ravageurs de la tomate
Seeding rate and cultivar impacts on nutrient uptake of field pea under fertile soil condition
No full textPlant density is an important agronomic factor that affects crop
growth, development, and yield. The optimum plant density to attain the
highest yield can vary with genotype, production and, environmental
factors. A field experiment was conducted at Bursa Uludag University
Agricultural Area to evaluate the effects of seeding rate and variety
on plant nutrient uptake of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars
(Ulubatli, Kirazli, Golyazi, and Urunlu). Some very important factors
responsible for low yield are plant density under field conditions and
the selection of unsuitable cultivars. The adoption of pea cultivars
that are more productive and better adapted to cultivation regions and
the increase in plant population per area are important strategies to
obtain higher productivity under field conditions. Plant density is one
of the most effective agronomic factors for determining optimum plant
nutrient uptake. The factorial experiment was arranged in a completely
randomized block design with three replicates per treatment. Four
cultivars and five seeding rates (75, 100, 125, 150, and 175 g seed
m-2) were evaluated. Results showed that plant nutrient uptake was
affected by seeding rate and pea cultivars. The maximum rate of plant
nutrient uptake occurred at a density of 100-125 g seed m-2 and for
\u2018Kirazli\u2019, \u2018Golyazi\u2019, and \u2018Urunlu\u2019.
However, \u2018Ulubatli\u2019 showed minimum values of nutrient
uptake. Regarding macroand micronutrients, varieties on the average had
mean nutrient uptake with the following sequence: N > K > Ca >
P > Mg, Na, Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu. Pea varieties and seeding
rates should be considered in the fertilization program
Potato production in aeroponics: An emerging food growing system in sustainable agriculture for food security
No full textThe global average potato (<taxon genus="Solanum"
species="tuberosum" sub-prefix=""
sub-species=""><sp>Solanum</sp>
<sp>tuberosum</sp></taxon> L.) production is 17.4 t
ha-1. Even using the same potato varieties, there is a large gap
between higher yields and lower yields among countries. Potatoes are a
cash crop and a significant part of the global diet. Therefore, low
soil fertility, soil-borne diseases, poor water quality, and pests
seriously affect potato production in developing countries. To improve
potato quality and production, it is necessary for the modern world to
improve its potato cultivation techniques. Aeroponics cultivation is an
alternative technology of soilless culture for effectively adapting to
areas of the world where soil and water are in critical condition. In
aeroponic systems, plant roots are suspended in the open air under
controlled circumstances to replace the soil with artificially provided
foam or plastic stents. Moreover, the nutrient solution is spread
through atomization nozzles. This review provides insights into the
potential use of aeroponics in complementing potato production in
developing countries. Moreover, in most developing countries, this
technology should be adopted after deliberate consideration to increase
potato production