IOSR-JAVS   Volume-8 ~ Issue-2 ~ FEB-2015

ABSTRACT: This study was carried out to determine the impact of microfinance on small-scale poultry production in Delta State. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in obtaining the data from the field. Purposive sampling technique was used to select twenty (20) communities where poultry farming is prevalent. Two villages were randomly selected from each of the communities. Then seven (7) poultry farmers were randomly selected from each of the villages with the assistance of the livestock unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and the help of village head. Therefore, a total of two hundred and eighty (280) respondents were used for the study. Data for this study was collected from primary and secondary sources. The primary sources are from questionnaire and extension personnel's. The secondary sources are from textbook, journals and publications of past studies.

[1]. Adeyeye, V.A. (2003). Impact of Cooperative-based NGOs on Rural Poverty: A Case Study of Farmers Development Union (FADU) in Osun State, Nigeria. NISER (Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research) Monograph series No 10, Ibadan, NISER, pp: 73. Amin AA, Rai B, Topa ST (2003). The Economics of Microfinance: MIT Press.
[2]. Anyanwu, C.M. (2004). Microfinance Institutions in Nigeria: Policy, Practice and Potentials. Paper Presented at the G24 Workshop on Constraints to Growth in Sub Saharan Africa, Pretoria, South Africa, and November 29-30, 2004
[3]. Copestake, C. Halotra, B.N, Johnson T.V. (2001) Saving in Sub-Saharan Africa, in CID Working Paper No. 38, Harvard University.
[4]. Ehigiamusoe, E.O. (2005). Microcredit: Tool for Poverty Alleviation. A Lead Paper Presented at the 12th Annual LAPO Development Forum in Benin City On Monday, October 17th, 2005.
[5]. Evans, A. Adams, S. (2009). Distinguishing Limited Commitment from Moral Hazard in Models of, Growth with Inequality, in: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. FRN (Federal Republic of Nigeria) 2000. Federal Republic of Nigeria: Obasanjo‟s Economic Direction 1999- 2003 pp.1518. Dawn Functions Nigeria Limited, pp.15-18.

ABSTRACT: To evaluate the serological findings of cattle Leptospirosis which is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution caused byLeptospirainterrogans. It is usually mild and often subclinical in cattle but it may lead to higher incidence of abortion, stillbirth, infertility, mastitis, weak progeny and decreased milk production in cattle. 676 cattle serum samples were collected during 2008-2011 and stored at -20 °C. All the collected serum samples were subjected to Micro-agglutination test (MAT) and Real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for leptospirosis.A total 676 cattles were included in present study from which 195 (29%) samples were positive by MAT and 75 (12%) positive by Real time PCR. 21(3%) samples were positive by MAT and PCR both tests.40% cattle detected as carrier of Leptospiraorganism in present study. So cattle act as a maintenance host for leptospirosis in this geographical area. The combined laboratory methods for Leptospiradiagnosis enable the Veterinarian officers to assure their decisions. Further investigation on physiological adaptation of cows as a host of this organism must be supported for studying and creating new preventive strategies.

Keywords: Leptospirosis, Micro-agglutination test (MAT), Real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

[1]. Ko AI, Goarant C, Picardeau M. Leptospira: the dawn of the molecular genetics era for an emerging zoonotic pathogen. Nat Rev Microbiol2009; 7: 736-747.
[2]. Adler B, de la Peña Moctezuma A. Leptospira and leptospirosis. Vet Microbiol2010; 140: 287-296.
[3]. Cinco M. New insights into the pathogenicity of leptospires: evasion of host defences. New Microbiol2010; 33: 283-292.
[4]. Bey R.F., Johnson R.C., 1986. Current status of leptospiralvaccines.Prog.vet. Microbiol.Immunol.,2: 175-197.
[5]. Songer J.G., Chilelli C.J., Marshall M.M., Noon T.H., Meyer R., 1983. Serological survey for leptospirosis in Arizona beef cattle in 1981.Am. J. vet. Res., 44: 1763-1764.

ABSTRACT: Pigeonpea is one of the major crops which attract the farmers with its significant yields despite its demand in market. Moreover, full potential from Pigeonpea can be exploited by selecting suitable variety and optimum time of sowing during Rabi . But the information on the optimum date of sowing and suitable variety for Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.)) as post rainy season crop is meagerly available in literature. Hence, the present experiment is aimed to identify the optimum date of sowing and high yielding suitable Pigeonpea variety for Rabi. In this connection, a field experiment on 'Response of Pigeonpea varieties to time of sowing during Rabi' is carried out by considering four dates of sowing viz., September second fortnight(D1), October first fortnight(D2), October second fortnight(D3) and November first fortnight(D4) and three varieties viz., LRG- 41(V1), TRG- 22(V2) and ICPL- 85063(V3) using a Randomized Block Design with factorial concept in three replications for three successive years from 2010 to 2013. From the results, it can be inferred that TRG-22 and LRG-41 are better among the varieties suitable for post-rainy season. The second fortnight of September is identified as an optimum time of sowing during post-rainy season..

Keywords: Rabi Pigeonpea, date of sowing, varieties and seed yield.

[1]. Bapi Reddy T, Chandrasekhara Reddy S and T Yellamanda Reddy (1991). Performance of Pigeonpea Varieties in Post rainy season Journal of Research APAU 19(1) 25-27.
[2]. Govind Reddy M, Ghosh, B.C and Sudhakar N (1991).Studies on scheduling of irrigation to winter pigeonpea. Indian Journal of Agronomy 36(1):109-111
[3]. Islam S Nanda MK and AK Mukherjee (2008). Effect of date of sowing and spacing on growth and yield of Rabi pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) Journal of Crop and Weed 4(1): 7-9
[4]. Jukanti AK, Gaur PM, Gowda CLL and ChibbarRN(2012). Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): A review. British Journal of Nutrition. 108, S11-S26.
[5]. Laxminarayana P (2003). Response of Rabi redgram to dates of sowing and row spacings. Annals of Agricultural Research. New series 24(1) : 187-189
[6]. Narayan, A and Sheldrake,A.R. (1979). Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) as winter crop in peninsular India. Experimental Agriculture 15: 91-95

ABSTRACT: Wheat is Afghanistan's major food grain crop occupying 80% of cereals' acreage in the country. Afghans rank among the highest consumers of wheat at about 200Kg/capita/annum. Inspite of all the attention, Afghanistan still has to import wheat to meet its domestic demands. The wheat production in the country is highly erratic as about 55% of the wheat acreage is rainfed with very low productivity ranging from as low as 200Kg/ha to a maximum of one tonne per ha. Irrigated wheat on the other hand has been maintaining higher productivity levels of upto three tonnes per ha and has enabled Afghanistan harvest upto five million tonnes in some good years like 2009 and 2012 (FAO, 2012). More than a dozon new wheat varieties have been released in Afghanistan, however, rust races have also been keeping pace and rendering varieties susceptible (Zamarai et al., 2013). This requires continuous varietal development and the variety Kabul 13 was released this year for irrigated regions. This is a Ug99 resistant high yielding varietiy and is resistant to all the prevalent rust races in the country.

[1]. Agricultural Prospects Report (APR), 2012. Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation & Livestock, Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Kabul 2012. P55.
[2]. FAO, 2012. www.faostat.org Accessed 17.09. 2012.
[3]. Zamarai, A., Obaidi, M.Q., Ghanizada, A.G., Mashook, M., Azmatyar, M.H., Jan, A., Qayum, A., Mohmand, E. and Sharma, Rajiv. 2013. Reaction of some of Afghanistan's wheat varieties to yellow rust under natural conditions. African J. Agrill' Res., 8 14: 1255-57.

ABSTRACT: Vegetation Indices (VIs) are combinations of surface reflectance at two or more wavelengths designed to highlight a particular property of vegetation. They are derived using the reflectance properties of vegetation. The NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and MSAVI2 (Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index) differencing methods using Landsat satellite ETM+7 and MSS images were implemented to assess the relationship between some soil physical-chemical properties and these two vegetation indices in Baqubah (the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate). The relationship between chemical _textural soil properties and NDVI, MSAVI2 could not be established due mainly to the effect of climatic conditions and some geological and pedological processes. A significant Pearson correlation was found between MSAVI2and CaCO3 content at the 0.05 level (2-tailed) of Landsat ETM+7. It is also observed that there were negative correlation coefficients between CaCO3 content and the spectral reflectance values of Landsat MSS bands at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). This means that, the soils of the Lower Mesopotamian Plain are extremely calcareous. There were statistically significant correlation coefficients between sand, clay, and organic matter (O.M.) contents and panchromatic band of Landsat ETM+7 data. These results are related to the higher spatial resolution of ETM+7 Panchromatic band in comparison to the lower spatial resolution of reflective bands.

[1]. Alavi Panah, S. K.; and R. Goossens. 2001.Relationship Between the Landsat TM, MSS DATA and Soil Salinity. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. 3: 21-31. [2]. Anderson, E. 2000. The Middle East Geography and Geopolitics.New York: Routledge. [3]. Bowman G. M.; and J. Hutka. 2002. Particle size analysis. In Soil Physical Measurement and Interpretation For Land Evaluation. (Eds. NJ McKenzie, HP Cresswell, KJ Coughlan) pp. 224-239. (CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood, Victoria). [4]. Buringh, P.1960. Soils and soil conditions in Iraq. Ministry of Agriculture, Baghdad, Iraq.
[5]. Chabrillat, S. 2006. Land degradationindicators: spectral indices. Annals of Arid Zone. 45(3&4): 331-354. [6]. Demattê J.A.M.; R.C. Campos.; M.C. Alves; P.R. Fiorio; and M.R. Nanni. 2004. Visible-NIR reflectance: a new approach on soil evaluation. Geoderma. 121: 95-112. [7]. Dogana, H. M.; and O. M. Kılıça. 2013. Modelling and mapping some soil surface properties of Central Kelkit Basin in Turkey by using Landsat-7 ETM+ images. International Journal of Remote Sensing. 34(15): 5623-5640.

ABSTRACT: Objective of this research was to obtain F6 genotype, which has high productivity by organic breeding. The research was conducted from June – October 2013 at Torongrejo village, Junrejo subdistrict, Batu, East Java at the altitude of ± 700 m above sea level. The research applied the Randomized Complete Design by three replications and 9 genotypes of F5 generation as treatment. Selection was done in organic breeding that specified in applying organic pesticide and fertilizer without any synthetic chemicals. Result of the research showed that the selection was done on characters, such as number of good fruits, weight of good fruit, number of total fruits, and weight of total fruits due to have the high coefficient values of genotypic and phenotypic variability, heritability and high expected genetic advance, as well as having significant and positive values for phenotypic and genotypic correlations with weight of total fruits. Based on result of the selection, 6 genotypes of organic tomato was obtained, which included LV.2.128.1.23.2, LV.2.128.6.18.42, LV.2.128.6.18.44, LV.2.128.7.3.45, LV.2.128.7.5.17, LV.2.128.7.10.27 that are potential to have high productivity. Variability in each genotype is still high, so that selection was done on individual that is potential to have high productivity in organic breeding.

Keywords: Genetic parameter, organic breeding, selection, tomato

[1]. N. Basuki, Estimation of of the gene's role (Malang : Written Lecturers, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Brawijaya, 1997).
[2]. L.V. Crowder, Plant's Genetics (Yogyakarta : UGM Press, 1997).
[3]. K.S. Delaplane and D. F. Mayer, Crop Pollination by Bees (Oxon : CABI Publishing, 2000).
[4]. D.S. Falconer, Introduction to quantitative genetics (Edinburgh : Oliver & Boyd, 1983).
[5]. K. A. Hanafiah, Base of Agrostatistics (Jakarta : Raja Grafindo Persada, 1994).
[6]. T. Handayani and I. M. Hidayat, Genetic variability and heritability of several main characters on soybean and their implication for the production improvement selection, J.Hort, 22(4), 2012, 327-333.
[7]. B. Helyanto, U. Setyo Budi, A. Kartamidjaja and D. Sunardi, Study of genetic parameter on fiber yield and its component in germplasm of rosella, Journal of Tropical Agriculture, 8(1), 2000, 82-87.

ABSTRACT: Objective of the research was to study the effect of mycorrhiza on growth and yield of 8 (eight) genotypes of wheat has been done at the field in the District of Dadaprejo, Subdistrict of Junrejo, Batu and Laboratory of Plant's Disease and Pest, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Brawijaya, from February to September 2013. The experimental treatment comprised of 3 (three) factors and they were done in Spit-Split Plot Design by 3 (three) replications. The first factor is the method of mycorrhizal inoculation that includes 2 levels, such as seedling inoculation and field inoculation, which are placed as the Main Plots, the second factor is the amount of inoculated mycorrhizal spores that includes 2 levels, such as 75 spores and 150 spores that are placed as the Sub Plot, and the third factor is the wheat genotypes that include M4, M6, M7, M9, SO3, SO8, Nias and Selayar, which are placed as Sub Plots. Result of the research showed that both seedling inoculation and field inoculation were effective in increasing mycorrhizal colonization and high colonization could not increase growth and production of wheat. Single treatment on the amount of inoculated mycorrhizal spores has significant effect on characters of plant height, weight of harvested seeds per plot, the amount of spores when the plant is under the vegetative phase and harvest, as well as percentage of mycorrhizal colonization.

[1]. APTINDO. 2013. Ahli Pangan: Indonesia Dimitoskan Tak Bisa Ditanam Gandum. www.us.detikfinance.com/. Diakses tanggal 22 Maret 2013.
[2]. Baylis, G.T.S. 1975. The magnoloid mycorrhiza and mycotrophy in root systems derived from it. Pp 373-389. In F.E. Sanders, B. Mosse, and P.B. Tinker (Eds.). Endomycorrhizas. Academic Press, London.
[3]. Brundrett, M., N. Bougher, B. Dell, T. Grove, dan N. Malajczuk. 1996. Working with Mycorrhizas in Forestry and Agriculture. ACIAR Monograph 32. 374 p.
[4]. Cahyani, V.R. 2009. Pengaruh beberapa metode sterilisasi tanah terhadap status hara, populasi mikrobiota, potensi infeksi mikorisa dan pertumbuhan tanaman. Sains Tanah 6(1):43-52.
[5]. Cruz, C., JJ. Green, C.A. Watson, F. Wilson dan M.A. Martin-Lucao. 2004. Functional aspect of root architecture and mycorrhizal inoculation with respect to nutrient uptake capacity. Mycorrhiza 14:177-184.

ABSTRACT: The study was undertaken at the experimental field of All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (M.S.), India. The area under study was divided into four small catchments. The catchments A and C are treated with continuous contour trenches (CCTs) and B and D are non treated. The catchment A and B are having custard apple (Annona squamosa) plantation and catchment C and D are having atemoya (Annona cherimola) plantation. The soil moisture status at different depths of 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70 and 70-80cm was observed during 2013-14 and the leaf area index was calculated for custard apple and atemoya plantation. It was observed that the CCTs helps in better soil moisture condition and which influences the plant growth and ultimately the leaf area index (LAI) of the plantation in CCT treated catchments was better as compared to non-treated catchments.

[1]. D. P. Guo and Y. Z. Sun, Estimation of leaf area of stem lettuce (Lactuca sativa var angustana) from linear measurements, Indian J. of Agricultural Sciences, 71(7), 2001, 483-486.
[2]. I. Jonckheere, S. Fleck , K. Nackaerts, B. Muysa, P. Coppin, M. Weiss and F. Baret, Review of methods for in situ leaf area index determination Part I, Theories, sensors and hemispherical photography, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 121, 2004, 19–35.
[3]. M. Nagdeve, G.M. Bharad, R. Singh, J.P. Patra and N.S. Raghuwanshi, Modelling hydrological impacts of continuous contour trench conservation systems, International conference on Water, Environment, Energy and Society, (WEES), 12-16 Jan. 2009, New Delhi, 1739-1748.
[4]. C.George Thomas, Land husbandary and watershed management (Kalyani publishers, New-Delhi, India, 2010).
[5]. Soil Survey Staff, Key to soil taxonomy (6thEdn. Soil Conservation Service, US Dept. Agric., Washington D.C. 1994).

ABSTRACT: The aim of this research was to analyse the chemical, colorimetric and sensory properties of pie crust incorporated with lemon-derived fat replacer. Results showed that the fat replacer had dietary fibre content of 14 % and ahigh water holding capacity, (86 %). The pectin content of the lemon peel was found to be 21.26 % which is very high. Sensory evaluation of pie crusts consisting of different proportions of lemon peel as a substitute for fat revealed that pie crusts prepared with 0 and 5 % fat replacer had the highest level of acceptance for all sensory attributes.

Keywords: Lemon peel, pectin, dietary fibre, fat replacer,pie crust.

[1]. Akesowan, A. (2007). Effect of konjac flour/ soy protein isolate mixture on reduced fat, added water chiffon cakes. AU Journal technology, 11(1):23-27.
[2]. Amoah, A. G. (2003). Obesity in adult residents of Accra, Ghana. Ethn Dis Summer,13 (2): 29-101.
[3]. Anderson, J. W., Smith, B. M. and Guftanson, N. S. (1994). Health benefit and practical aspects of high-fibre diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 595: 1242-1247.
[4]. Awad, S., Hassan, A. and Muthukumarappan, K. (2005). Application of exopolysaccharide-producing cultures in reduced-fat Cheddar cheese: Texture and melting properties. Journal ofDairy Science, 88:4204-4213.
[5]. Bennion, M. (1995). Food choices and sensory characteristics. In: Introductory Foods, pretence-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, 10:1-19.
[6]. Dugo, G. and Giacomo, A. (2002). Citrus. In: the genus citrus. Taylor and Francis, New York.

ABSTRACT: Understanding consumer segment is important especially in developing effective marketing strategies. Segmentation of the consumers depend on various factors including socio demographic factors of the consumers, product line to be considered, types of retail store used, attributes of the product as well as that of the store among other factors. This study examined and segmented the fresh vegetable consumers based on the product attributes and store attributes considered by the consumers in their fresh vegetable purchases. Results of the study indicate the most important fresh vegetable attributes and that of retail formats considered by the Klang valley fresh vegetable consumers when purchasing the product. Also applying statistical analysis technique to the data collected from the fresh vegetable consumers; they were segmented into three different segments each with its peculiar characteristics that differ from the other. The result suggests that for effective marketing strategies, there is need to consider the demand of each member of segments in meeting their need as well as capturing the targeted segment.

Keywords: Consumers, Segmentation, Fresh vegetables, Store Attributes and Product Attributes

[1]. Ann, V. and Gregory, V. 2000. Consumer segmentation and changing food purchase patterns in Nanjing, PRC. World Development Journal Vol. 28(3) 457-471.
[2]. Bagozzi, R. P., Baumgartner, H., & Yi, Y. 1992. versus action orientation and the theory of reasoned action: an application to coupon usage. Journal of Consumer Research, 18(4), 505–518.
[3]. Bellenger, D.N. and Korgaonkar, P.K. 1980. Profiling the recreational shoppers. Journal of Retailing 56(3), 77-92
[4]. Chamhuri, N., & Batt, P. J. 2009. Factors influencing consumers ' choice of retail stores for fresh meat in Malaysia. In Paper presented at 19th Annual World Food and Agribusiness Forum and Symposium, 20-23 June 2009, Budapest Hungary (pp. 1–16).
[5]. Chamhuri, N., & Batt, P. J. 2013. Understanding the Relationship Between Perceived Quality Cues and Quality Attributes in the Purchase of Meat in Malaysia. Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 25(3), 187–208. doi:10.1080/08974438.2013.723999

ABSTRACT: Wooden hives set for honeybees' colonization are often attractive to pests. However, little is known about the interaction among these pests with the hives and more so, impacts of baiting materials on the attractiveness of these pests other than honeybees. Therefore, the interaction of other insects and colonization response of native honeybees to Gmelina arborea wood made hives baited with honey-wax and non-baited hives were investigated for comparison. Paired choice test of baited and non-baited hives with six replicates were strategically placed within four hectares of matured secondary forest between January and December, 2014 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Two categories of pests were recognized; cavity nesting and cavity destroying organisms. There were remarkable differences in the pest species composition and their impacts. The use of bait influenced the attraction of honeybees' enemy pests first, and has negative impacts on colonization rate and economy of the hives. The study revealed October as the best colonization month with 7 hives colonized (58%), followed by December with 2 hives (16%), and February and March with 1 hive colonized (8%) in each month. Non-baited hives recorded faster and complete colonization than the baited hives. This study has demonstrated the non-usefulness of bait in modern beekeeping in South-western Nigeria.

Keywords: Appealing, cavity nesting fauna, Nigeria, October, wood

[1]. Schmidt, A. 1897. Zoologische und botanisheMitteilungen (Honey bee nest in the tree trunk).Schr. Nat. Ges. Danzig N. F., 9: 94-96
[2]. Seeley, T. D. and R. A. Morse, 1976. The Nest of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) InsectesSociaux, Paris. 23(8): 495-512
[3]. Gambino, P., K. Hoelmer, and H. V. Daly, 1990. Nest sites of feral honey bees in California, USA. Apidologie, 21(1): 35-45.
[4]. Ratnieks, F. L.W. and M.A Piery, 1991.The Natural Nest and Nest Density of the Africanised Honey Bee (Hymenoptera, Apidae) Near Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. Can. Ent., 123: 353- 359
[5]. Coelho, J. R. and J. B. Sullivan, 1994. Colonization of Wildlife Nest Boxes by Honey Bee Swarms. American Bee Journal, 134: 697-699
[6]. McNally, L. C. and S. S. Schneider, 1996. Spatial distribution and Nesting biology of colonies of the African Honeybee Apis mellifera scutellata (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Botswana, Africa. Environmental Entomology, 25(3): 643-652

ABSTRACT: Amarathus is an important leafy vegetable that is nutritionally and medically very relevant in human diet, thus the effect of poultry droppings (otlha, 5tlha, 10t/ha, 15t/ha and 20t/ha) was studied. Data collected on weekly basis were plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh shoot weight, fresh root weight, dry shoot weight and dry root weight. Results obtained from the study showed no significant (P=0.05) difference among the higher rates of poultry manure (10t/ha, 15t/ha, and 20t/ha), but significantly performed competitively better than the lower rates of 5t/ha and 0t/ha, in most of the parameters assessed. The growth and yield parameters measured increased with increasing rate of the poultry manure applied. The plants treated with 20t/ha rate of poultry manure recorded the highest value in all the parameters studied. Thus for maximum increase production of amarathus in the studied area, 20t/ha of poultry manure should be used.

Keyword: Amarathus, growth, poultrymanure, yield.

[1]. Abou-El-Magd, M., El-Bassiony, A.M. and Fawzy, Z.F (2006). Effect of organic manure with or without chemical fertilizers
[2]. on growth yield and quality of some varieties of broccoli plants. Applied Science vol 2, 791-798
[3]. Asiegbu, J.C. and Carol, N. Okpara (2000). Effect of organic manure application on yield distribution over time in Truss position on the main stem in egg plants Agro. Science ; 74-81pp
[4]. Colling Wood, E.F., Boudourhe, L. D'hondt, M. (1988). The incidence of pests and diseases and method of control In: FAO plant production and protection paper, no 89/FAO, vegetable production under semi-arid conditions in tropical Africa. Rome, pages 144-195
[5]. Eghareyba, R.K.A. and Ogbe, F.M. (2002). The effects of different levels of organic and mineral fertilizers on the yield performance of two amarathus (Amarathu cruentus) cultivars. Plant Scientist vol.3:62-72

ABSTRACT: The study investigated the effect of intercropping panicum maximum with maize. The field experiment was carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture Teaching and Research Farm, Anambra State University, Igbariam Campus. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five (5) replications. Growth and yield parameters such as height, number of leaves, stem girth and grain weight per plot were measured. The results obtained indicated that the intercropped performed better than the sole crop in all the parameters assessed, though there were no significant differences (P=0.05) in number of leaves in 5 weeks after planting (WAP) , 6 WAP, plant height 6 WAP and stem girth in 8 WAP. The plant height and number of leaves increased as the week after planting (WAP) increased. The plant height result in 5WAP and 7WAP as well as grain yield showed statistical significant (P=0.05) differences among mixed and sole crops, percentage increase in plant height of mixed crops over sole crops in 5WAP and 7WAP were 21.46% and 17.58% respectively, while the percentage increase in the grain yield of intercrop over sole crop was 28.26%. The results obtained from this study indicated that the intercrop of panicum naximum/maize could be ideal as it will increase the quantity, availability and feeding value of biomass, erosion control and better performance of the animals fed on the intercropped plants. Keywords: Intercropping, panicum maximum, Maize.

[1]. Assefa, G. And Ledin, I. (2001). Effect Of Variety, Soil Type And Fertilizer On The Establishment, Growth, Forage Yield, Quality And Voluntary Intake By Cattle Of Oats And Veiches Cultivated In Pure Stands And Mixtures. Animal Feed Sci. And Tech. 92:95-111.
[2]. Anil, L., Park, J. And Philips, R.H. (2000). The Potential Of Forage Maize Intercrops In Ruminant Nutrient Animal. Feed Science And Technology 85:157-164.
[3]. Caballero, R., Goicocchea, F.I. And Hermaiz, P.J. (1995). Forage Yield Quality Of Common Veich And Oat Sown At Varying Seedling Ratio And Seeding Rates Of Common Veich. Field Crops Res. 41:135-140.
[4]. Cusicangai, A. And Lauwer, J.G. (1999). Plant Density And Hybrid Influence On Corn Forage Yield And Quantity. Agronomy Journal 91:911-915.
[5]. Dahmardeh, M.A., Ghanbari, B. Syasar And Ramroudi, M. (2009). Effect Of Intercropping Maize With Cowpea On Green Forage Yield And Quality Evaluation. Asian Journal Of Plant Science 8 (3): 235-239.

ABSTRACT: This study was done in Kyuso Sub-County which is located in Kitui County, Kenya. The Sub-County suffers from food insecurity which is linked to declining agricultural productivity. The government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Agriculture, and other development partners have, continuously promoted on-farm rain water harvesting technologies. Despite these efforts food insecurity has been rampant in the Sub-County. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of rain water harvesting technologies on household food security among small-scale farmers in Kyuso Sub-County. Rain water harvesting technologies examined were road side run-off, zai pits and water pans. The study was carried out in Kamuongo Division of Kyuso Sub-County using the descriptive survey design. Structured interview schedule was used as the main tool of inquiry to gather data from selected households within the division. Questionnaires were administered to a sample 140 farmers through face-to-face interviews. The multiple linear regression model was used to analyze data. The results revealed that, at 5% level, rain water harvesting technologies did not significantly influence house hold food security in Kyuso Sub-County.
Key words: Kyuso Sub-County, household food security, dryland farming, rain water harvesting, road side run-off

[1]. Biamah, E.K., & Nhlabathi, N. (2003). Conservation Tillage Practices For Dryland Crop Production In Semi Arid Kenya: Promotion of Conservation Tillage Techniques for Improving Household Food Security in Iiuni, Machakos, Kenya. p 45-50. In: Beukes, D., de Villiers, M., Mkhize, S., Sally, H., and van Rensburg, L. (eds.), Water Conservation Technologies for Sustainable Dryland Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (WCT), Proceedings of The WCT Symposium and Workshop. 8-11 April, 2003. Bloemfontein, South Africa.
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[3]. Bouma, J. & Scott, C. 2006. The possibilities for dryland crop yield improvement in India's semiarid regions: Observations from the field. Comprehensive Assessment discussion paper no. 3. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Comprehensive Assessment Secretariat.
[4]. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research Methods in Education (6th ed). Oxford, UK : Routledge Publishers.

ABSTRACT: The present study reveals the antagonistic potential of some fungi isolated from the agricultural field soil which were screened against the test pathogen (Sclerotium rolfsii) in vitro. Six fungal species viz. Penicillium sp, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia sp, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma viride, and Fusarium sp were tested in vitro in dual culture by inoculating both the antagonist and the pathogen simultaneously (2cm apart). Among the six fungal isolates, Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride grew very fast compared to the pathogen (Sclerotium rolfsii) and inhibited its mycelium producing a clear inhibition zone. Maximum percentage of inhibition on the growth of the Sclerotium rolfsii was observed with Trichoderma harzianum (77.39%), followed by Trichoderma viride (76.54%) while considerable degree of inhibition was also observed with, Aspergillus niger (30.48%), Penicillium sp (29.05%) and Curvularia sp (13.57%). The study revealed the biocontrol potential of some naturally available soil fungi isolated from the agricultural field soil, which may be tried as biocontrol agents against Sclerotium rolfsii in the field condition.

Keywords: Antagonists, biological control, in vitro, pathogen, Sclerotium rolfsii, Trichoderma spp.

[1]. Aycock, R., 1966. Stem rot and other diseases caused by Sclerotium rolfsii. A North Carolina State University Agricultural Experiment Station. Technical Bulletin., 174:202.
[2]. Burgess, L.W. and Griffin, D.M., 1967. Competitive saprophytic colonization of wheat straw. Ann.appl.Biol, 60: 137-42.
[3]. Baker, K.F. and Cook, R.J., 1974 Biological control of plant pathogens, W.H. Freeman and Co, San Francisco, California; pp. 433.
[4]. Barnett, H.L. and Hunter, B.B., 1972. Illustrated Genera of Imperfect Fungi. Burgess Publishing Company.
[5]. Bagwan, N.B., 2010. Evaluation of Trichoderma compatibility with fungicides, pesticides, organic cakes and botanicals for integrated management of soil borne diseases of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill). Int. J. Plant Prot., 3: 206-209.

ABSTRACT: After human voice and other social media, talking drum is perhaps the most popular medium of communication in southwestern Nigeria. Available articles on talking drums are oriented towards culture, melody and communication with little information on the biological material used in making them. Also, scarcity of Cordia millenii which hitherto was the choice species for drums carving necessitated the assessment of the suitability of Nigerian grown Gmelina arborea as alternative wood for making drums. A talking drum made in 1972 from a 7-year-old Gmelina tree was examined. In order to ascertain the physical properties of G. arborea, samples of a 12-year-old G. arborea wood were used to determine the wood density (WD) and the coefficient of variation (CV).G arborea has WD of 476±0.20kg/m3 and CV of 6.86% which is close to that of C. millenii: 436.51±14.39kg/m3 and European Spruce: 450kg/m3. The examined drum exhibited excellent degradation resistance to insects and splitting for over 40 years as attested to by the respondents. This study identified Gmelina arborea as excellent substitute for Cordia millenii for talking drums and other drums in Nigeria. Establishment of more plantations in order to ensure regular supply of wood for carving and other wood-based industries is advised.

Keywords: Cordia millenii, entertainment industry, Ibadan, talking drum, wood density

[1]. Agun, F. 2014. The talking drum – The talking drum Kalangu, Gangan, Odondo drum. Hubpages article retrieved on 15th November, 2014 from http://tony55.hubpages.com/hub/The-Talking-Drum-The-Talking-Drum-Kalangu-Gungun-Odondo-drum
[2]. Spycher, M. 2007. The application of wood decay fungi to improve the acoustic properties of resonance wood for violins. Published Ph.D thesis, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Science, Albert-Ludwigs Universitat, Freiburg imBreisgau, Germany, 255pp
[3]. Seddeq, H. S. 2009. Factors influencing acoustic performance of sound absorptive materials.Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 3(4): 4610-4617
[4]. Iris, B. 2012. Acoustical properties of wood in string instruments soundboards and tuned idiophones: Biological and cultural diversity. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 131(1):807-818.
[5]. Yoshikawa, S. and Walthan, C. 2014. Woods for wooden musical instruments. ISMA 2014, Le Mans, France, pp 281-286
[6]. Kemevor, A. K. 2014. Traditional Ingenuity in Ghanaian Atumpan Drum Construction (From Locally Obtainable "Cordia millenii‟). Arts and Design Studies, 22: 59-69

ABSTRACT: Twenty-four weaned Soviet Chinchilla rabbits of six week old having uniform size and body weights were selected. Animals were randomly divided into three groups. The groups were nomenclature as GI, GII and GIII having four, eight and twelve rabbits in each group and the evaluated densities were: 0.38m2/rabbit; 0.19m2/rabbit and 0.12m2/rabbit, respectively. The animals were maintained on same basal diet and weekly body weights, body weight gains, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio are recorded. The study revealed that the rabbits providing 038m2 floor spaces per animal showed better performance in terms of body weights, body weight gains and feed conversion ratio under the climatic condition of Assam.

Key words: Rabbit, stocking density.

[1]. Stark, K.D.C., Food safety achieved through herd management. SAT, Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, 142 (12) 2000, 673-678.
[2]. Martrenchar, A., Morisse, J.P., Huonnic, D. & Cotte, J.P., The influence of stocking on some behavioural, physiological and productivity traits of broilers. Veterinary Research, 28 (5), 1997, 473-480.
[3]. Channing, C.E., Hughes, B.O. & Walker, A.W., Spatial distribution and behaviour of laying hens housed in an alternative system. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 72 (4), 2001, 335-345.
[4]. Princz, Z.; Nagy, I.; Radnai, I.; Gerencser, Z. and Szendrı, Z., Effect of the floor type and stocking density on the productive performance of growing rabbits. 9th World Rabbit Congress, 2008 – Verona – Italy.
[5]. Kalaba, Z. M., Physiological response and stress indicators of California rabbits under intensive conditions in Egypt. Asian Journal of Poultry Science 6 (3), 2012, 65-78,
[6]. Das, K.S.; Handa, M.C.; Sirohi and Chandrahas, Effect of stocking density on the performance of Soviet Chinchilla rabbit. Indian Veterinary Journal March, 84, 2007, 309-310.

ABSTRACT: A total of 1378 body linear measurements and body weight were obtained at four locations of about 30 kilometers minimum apart, from kastina-Ala local government area of Benue State. The data were subjected to the general linear model procedure and a discriminant analysis to estimate the effect of location and mahalanobis square (D2) distance between locations. There was significant variation in body length, shank length, tail length, tail width and comb length due to location. There were also significant genetic distances between the locations; except between location 4 and 2. There is a wide genetic diversity in body dimensions between isolated populations of the Tiv local chicken ecotypes. Superior birds could be identified, selected and bred for genetic improvement. keywords: Genetic - distance, local-chickens, ecotype and population.

[1]. Adebambo, A.O., Mwaeharo, J.M. and Hannote,O. (2009). Characterization of Nigerian indigenous chicken ecotypes using microsatellite markers. Proceeding of the 3rd Nigeria international poultry summit, February 22-26, SI, OCa, PP: 84-91.
[2]. AL-Aliyat, R. (2009). Diversity of chicken populations in Jordan determined using discriminate analysis of performance traits. International of Agriculture Biology. Vol 11: 374-380.
[3]. Benitez, F. (2002). Reasons for the use and conservation of Some local genetic resources in in poultry. In: Poc.7th would conyvers. Genetic applied to Livestock production. August 19-23-2002. Montpellier, France.
[4]. FAO, (1984). Animal Genetic Resource conservation by Management: Data Bank and Training Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome Italy.
[5]. Gwaza, D.S., Dim, N.I. and Momoh, O.M. (2012). Genetic study of the Fulani and the Tiv local chicken ecotypes in the derived guinea savannah region of Nigeria. PhD these is submitted to the Department of Animal Breeding and Physiology, University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Nigeria.
[6]. Hammond, K. (1994). Conservation of domestic animal diversity: Global overview. Proc. 5th world long. Genetic Applied to Livestock production. 21:423-439.

ABSTRACT: The Performance Of Nspri's Iced-Fish Box, A Technology For Short Term Cool Storage Of Fish, Developed And Constructed By Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (Nspri) Were Evaluated.Ice, And Catfish (Clariasgariepnus) Were Purchased. The Purchased Quantities Of Ice And Catfish Were Shared Into Two Parts And Simultaneously Introduced Into The Boxes At The Same Ratio For Load Test Experiment And Only Ice Were Utilized For The No Load Test Experiment. Two Of The Boxes Were Used For Both Test Experiment With One Kept Inside The Laboratory And The Other Running Concurrently Outside At Ambient Condition.

[1]. T.Bekker-Nielsen Ancient Fishing And Fish Processing In The Black Sea Region. Black Sea Studies, Aarhus University Press. 2,2005
[2]. H.A.Bremner. Safety And Quality Issues In Fish Processing.Woodhead Publishing Limited. 2003.
[3]. D.J.Brewer And R.F.Friedman. Fish And Fishing In Ancient Egypt Cairo Press. The American University In Cairo. 1998
[4]. C.L.Cutting And L.Hill. Fish Saving; A History Of Fish Processing From Ancient To Modern Times.1995
[5]. A.W.William. State Specialist For Aquaculture Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program. Paper On Temporary Storage Of Fresh Fish
[6]. H.Stewart.Indian Fishing: Early Methods On The Northwest Coast University Of Washington Press. 1982
[7]. K.M. Stewart. Fishing Sites Of North And East Africa In The Late Pleistocene And Holocene. Cambridge Monographs In African Archaeology.34,1989

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to determine the impact of diptank rehabilitation on the prevalence of ticks, tick borne diseases (TBDs) and other tick related conditions in Umzingwane district of Zimbabwe. About 120 cattle farmers and three veterinary officers were randomly interviewed using a structured questionnaire.Before diptank rehabilitation programme, 70% of the farmers owned an average of 7 cattle and handling facilities were not intact. Furthermore, they were no footbath, no roof and head clump. As a result, all the farmers reported poor tick control due to the fact that cattle were escaping from the handling facilities before dipping.About 55% farmers lost cattle due to tick related conditions before diptank rehabilitationresulting in 17% cattle mortality.

[1]. Bhatnagar B(1992),"Participatory Development and the World Bank", Washington DC.
[2]. Chamboko T, Mukhebi A W, Callagen C J O, Peter T F, Krusha R L, Medley G F, Mahan S M and PerryB D(1999),"The control of heartwater on large scale commercial and smallholder farms in Zimbabwe",Preventative Veterinary Medicine, 39(3), 191-210.
[3]. Chimonyo M, Kusina N T, Hamudikuwanda H and Nyoni O(1999),"A survey on land use and usage of cattle for draught in a smallholder farming area of Zimbabwe", Journal of Applied Sciences in Southern Africa, 5(2), 111-121.
[4]. Gabella L(2009). "The impact of non-governmental agricultural recovery programs in Zimbabwe: World vision in Insiza District", Msc Thesis, University of the Free State Bloemfontein, South Africa.
[5]. Hesterberg U, Bagnall R,Perrett K and Gummow B(2000),"A questionnaire survey of perceptions and preventive measures related to animal health amongst cattle owners of rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa",Journal of the South African Veterinary Association, 78(4), 205-208.
[6]. Junquera P(2013),"Dipping Livestock to control ticks, flies, mites, lice, blowfly strike and other parasites on cattle, sheep, goats, pig and poultry", 15:22. www.parasitipecha.net.

ABSTRACT: The study was conducted in four districts,(Township, Ikyurav-itiev, Tongov and Shitile) of Katsina-Ala local government area of Benue State, Nigeria. Data was collected on 1,867 naked neck birds. Parameters measured were frequency of the naked neck gene and body weight of laying , brooding , idle and incubating hens, cock, chicks, growers and weight of eggs. The data were subjected to descriptive statistics to estimates the means, variance and coefficient of variation as well as the frequency of the naked neck genes in the population. The frequency of the naked neck gene was low 10.1% indicating low scope of utilization of the naked neck gene at the rural level .The naked neck gene had significant effect on body weight of naked neck genotypes but expresses itself differently at different stages of the growth phase. The gene had the potential to influence egg size, however, common maternal effects like age and body weight at point of lay may limit this potential leading to low egg weight and consequently lower chick weight. Age and body weight at point of lay may be used to select superior naked neck birds in order to improve egg weight, hatch weight and subsequently growth rate.

Keywords: Body weight, genes and naked neck.

[1]. Adeleke, M.A., Peters, S.O., Ozoje, M.O., Ikeobi, C.O.N., Bamgbose, A.M. and Olufumilayo, A. Adebamo (2011). Genetic Parameter Estimates for Body Weight and Linear Body perameters in Pure and Crossbred Progenies of Nigerian Indigenous Chickens. Livestock Research for Rural Development 23(1).
[2]. Deeb N., Cahaner A. Genotype - by Environment Interaction with Broiler Genotype Differing Growth Rate 1. The Effect of High Ambient Temperatures and Naked Neck Genotype on Lines Differing in Genetic Background. Poult. Sci. 2001; 80: 695 – 702 (Pubmed).
[3]. Galal, A. (2003). Estimating Some Genetic Parameters of Naked Neck Gene under Different Environmental Conditions. Ph.D. Thesis. Ain Shams University.
[4]. Galal, A. and Fathi, M.M. (2001). Improving Carcass Yield of Chicken by Introducing Naked Neck and Frizzle Genes under Hot Prevailing Conditions. Egypt. Poult. Sci. 21: 339 – 362.

ABSTRACT: Termites are economic pest of both wood under services and standing trees, which have become routine burden of research and responsibility globally. Much research progress has been largely concentrated on woods under services with little attention given to standing trees; however, few literatures have reported the infestations of standing trees by termites in Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, the incidence and severity of termites' infestations on Azadirachta indica used as avenue trees in University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) from Delta axis road to Ofrima/Senate roundabout was investigated between July and October, 2014 using field surveys and observations.

[1]. Yates, J. R. and Tamashiro, M. 1990. Formosan subterrainean termites in Hawaii, Honolulu. Hawaii Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Human
[2]. Lenz, M. 2000. Management of Australian Termites in the Built Environment and in Horticulture. Pp 35-36, UNEP/FAO/Global IPM Facility Termite Biology and Management Workshop Report. Geneva, Switzerland, February 1-3, 2000 retrieved on 28 October, 2014 from http://www.chem.unep.ch/Pop/pdf/termrpt/termiterp.pdf
[3]. Zhong, J. H. and Liug, L. L. 2002. "Termites fauna in China and their economic importance". Sociobiology, 40(1): 25-32
[4]. Su, N.-Y. 2002. Novel technologies for subterranean termite control. Sociobiology, 40: 95-101
[5]. Lee, C. Y. 2004. Current Termite Management in Peninsular Malaysia: In Tsunoda, K. (Ed) Proceedings of the First Pacific Rim Termite Research Group Meeting, Penang, Malaysia, 8–9 March 2004, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan: 37-42.

ABSTRACT: The ability of the powder from the leaf, stem bark, seed and root of Moringa oleifera plant to preserve tomatoes from early spoilage was evaluated in this study. Mixed cultivars of tomatoes obtained from a retail outlet in Kano, North Western Nigeria, were treated with the powder of the Moringa oleifera plant parts and observed for preservation or spoilage for 42 days. The plant powders from leaf and stem bark gave better preservation results (p˂0.05) when compared to the seed powder. The mean preservation rate of the leaf and stem bark in 42 days were 66.07% each as against 37.5% and 52.7% for the seed and root respectively. Fresh tomatoes were also infected with Bacillus species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa earlier isolated from spoilt tomatoes and then treated with the plant parts and observed for preservation or spoilage. The results obtained did not show any significant difference (p>0.05) in preservation between the infected and the non infected tomatoes when treated with the Moringa oleifera plant parts. The findings therefore indicate that powder from the leaf and stem bark of Moringa oleifera which is reported to have antimicrobial properties can be used as a preservative for enhancing the shelf life of fresh tomatoes.

Key words: Tomato, Moringa oleifera, Preservation, Spoilage

[1]. Jay, M.J. (2003).Modern Food Microbiology.4th ed. Chapman and Hall Inc. New York. 187 –195.
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[3]. Blumenthal M, Riggins C. Popular Herbs in the US Market: Therapeutic Monographs. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 1997
[4]. Chidi, (2012). Tomato, nutritious vegetable. Seventeen Nigerian Economic Summit. Manufacturing today Nigeria. AL African post web team. Pp 1-3
[5]. FAOSTAT (2012). Food and Agricultural Commodities Production. http://faostat.fao.org/site/339
[6]. Mernyi Dennis (May 2, 2014) Waste market: In Mararaba Fruits Depot, Farmers Lose Fortunes Daily to Rotten Products", Abuja Metro Specials.