The objective of this research is to identify groundwater potential zones in the fractured terrain of the Khenifra-Azrou Basin using the Frequency Ratio (FR) and Shannon's Entropy (SE) models. A total of thirteen factors influencing groundwater were included, including distance to faults, fault density, distance to rivers, drainage density, Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST) and several topographical factors such as elevation, slope, slope aspect, profile curvature, plan curvature, Topographic Position Index (TPI) and Topographic Wetness Index (TWI). Groundwater potential maps were generated from the two models and were classified into four classes: low, moderate, high and very high. These maps were then validated based on the distribution of water points across the potential zones and by calculating the accuracy (ACC) and kappa coefficient. The results for the Frequency Ratio model show that the high and very high potential zones cover 37.72 % and 19.71 % of the area, while for the Shannon's Entropy model these zones cover 35.33 % and 20.22 % respectively. Validation with water points showed that for the FR model 41.03 % and 43.68 % were in the high and very high zones, whereas for the SE model 37.29 % and 45.09 % were in these classes. The accuracy and kappa coefficients for the FR model were 85.77 % and 57.64 %, and for the SE model were 85.77 % and 58.87 %. These results provide important insights for groundwater management and planning in the Khenifra-Azrou Basin.
{"title":"Assessment of groundwater potential in the Khenifra-Azrou basin, Central Massif, Morocco using frequency ratio and Shannon's entropy approaches","authors":"Anouar Taibou , Halima Jounaid , Jalal Moustadraf , Fouad Amraoui","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02616","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this research is to identify groundwater potential zones in the fractured terrain of the Khenifra-Azrou Basin using the Frequency Ratio (FR) and Shannon's Entropy (SE) models. A total of thirteen factors influencing groundwater were included, including distance to faults, fault density, distance to rivers, drainage density, Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST) and several topographical factors such as elevation, slope, slope aspect, profile curvature, plan curvature, Topographic Position Index (TPI) and Topographic Wetness Index (TWI). Groundwater potential maps were generated from the two models and were classified into four classes: low, moderate, high and very high. These maps were then validated based on the distribution of water points across the potential zones and by calculating the accuracy (ACC) and kappa coefficient. The results for the Frequency Ratio model show that the high and very high potential zones cover 37.72 % and 19.71 % of the area, while for the Shannon's Entropy model these zones cover 35.33 % and 20.22 % respectively. Validation with water points showed that for the FR model 41.03 % and 43.68 % were in the high and very high zones, whereas for the SE model 37.29 % and 45.09 % were in these classes. The accuracy and kappa coefficients for the FR model were 85.77 % and 57.64 %, and for the SE model were 85.77 % and 58.87 %. These results provide important insights for groundwater management and planning in the Khenifra-Azrou Basin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e02616"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143527050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The use of clinker as a filtering medium is a new method for treating the waste water from olive mills (OMWW), which is a highly toxic effluent for the environment due to its high organic load and its huge concentration of phenolic compounds as confirmed by HPLC analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersed X-rays (EDX), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the prepared clinker. Additionally, adsorption tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the clinker. The adsorption study was carried out under different conditions such as contact time, pH value, adsorbate concentration and temperature. The adsorption mechanisms are described using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms, the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models represent the kinetics while the thermodynamic study of adsorption examines how thermodynamic properties influence the adsorption process. The results indicate that the pseudo-second-order model and the Freundlich isotherm are most suitable for the adsorption of OMWW. The results showed that the clinker can adsorb 1001.61 mg/g at an initial concentration of 5000 mg/L.
{"title":"Removal of organic compounds from olive mill wastewater using an eco-friendly adsorbent: Characterization, kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, and interaction analysis","authors":"Malika Ammari , Mohammed Zerrouk , Imane Zoufri , Younesse El-Byari , Abdelhadi Mazrha , Fatima Ez-zahrae Mrizak , Mohammed Merzouki","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02612","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02612","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of clinker as a filtering medium is a new method for treating the waste water from olive mills (OMWW), which is a highly toxic effluent for the environment due to its high organic load and its huge concentration of phenolic compounds as confirmed by HPLC analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersed X-rays (EDX), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the prepared clinker. Additionally, adsorption tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the clinker. The adsorption study was carried out under different conditions such as contact time, pH value, adsorbate concentration and temperature. The adsorption mechanisms are described using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms, the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models represent the kinetics while the thermodynamic study of adsorption examines how thermodynamic properties influence the adsorption process. The results indicate that the pseudo-second-order model and the Freundlich isotherm are most suitable for the adsorption of OMWW. The results showed that the clinker can adsorb 1001.61 mg/g at an initial concentration of 5000 mg/L.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e02612"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143527066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food shortage is the insufficiency of food supply; whose greatest contributor is production shortfall. Sub-Saharan Africa is among the poorest regions in the world and is characterized by over-reliance on agriculture. Therefore, there is a need for diverse food sources in the region if food sustainability is to be achieved. The lack of information on the scope of diversity, nutritional and medicinal properties of edible Crotalaria species (rattle pods) limits the prospects of scaling-up their production and development of related pharmaceutical industries. This study aimed to determine the distribution and distinction of edible Crotalaria species in Kenya. Different regions of the country as well as the Genetic Resources Research Institute of Kenya were sampled in a purposive manner. The gathered seeds were established at the University of Embu and the plants were continually evaluated using 8 quantitative and 6 qualitative traits. Three edible species (C. brevidens Benth., C. ochroleuca G Don and C. trichotoma Bojer.) were identified and characterized. Factorial ANOVA revealed significant differences (p < 0.001 for all traits) in all the parameters assessed, and minimal diversity in qualitative traits. Pearson's correlation depicted weak to moderate positive and negative correlations in all traits except for leaf area and leaf width which were strongly positively correlated (r = 0.84, p < 0.0001). Principal Coordinate Analysis of the quantitative traits revealed that the first five PCs accounted for 92.9 % of the observed variation, with PC1 having a large positive association with leaf area (0.439), plant height (0.419) and leaf length (0.418), a phenomenon that suggested that this component primarily measures plant biomass. Based on agglomerative hierarchical grouping, the samples were clustered into 6 groups. All the qualitative traits under study except the pod shape were intermixed among the samples and did not reveal proper distinctions among the species under study. This study serves as a basis for identification of additional edible species, in an effort to enhance food security.
{"title":"Agro-morphological diversity of edible Kenyan Crotalaria accessions","authors":"Joshua Kiilu Muli , Johnstone O. Neondo , Nancy L.M. Budambula","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food shortage is the insufficiency of food supply; whose greatest contributor is production shortfall. Sub-Saharan Africa is among the poorest regions in the world and is characterized by over-reliance on agriculture. Therefore, there is a need for diverse food sources in the region if food sustainability is to be achieved. The lack of information on the scope of diversity, nutritional and medicinal properties of edible <em>Crotalaria</em> species (rattle pods) limits the prospects of scaling-up their production and development of related pharmaceutical industries. This study aimed to determine the distribution and distinction of edible <em>Crotalaria</em> species in Kenya. Different regions of the country as well as the Genetic Resources Research Institute of Kenya were sampled in a purposive manner. The gathered seeds were established at the University of Embu and the plants were continually evaluated using 8 quantitative and 6 qualitative traits. Three edible species (<em>C. brevidens</em> Benth., <em>C. ochroleuca</em> G Don and <em>C. trichotoma</em> Bojer.) were identified and characterized. Factorial ANOVA revealed significant differences (<em>p</em> < 0.001 for all traits) in all the parameters assessed, and minimal diversity in qualitative traits. Pearson's correlation depicted weak to moderate positive and negative correlations in all traits except for leaf area and leaf width which were strongly positively correlated (<em>r</em> = 0.84, <em>p</em> < 0.0001). Principal Coordinate Analysis of the quantitative traits revealed that the first five PCs accounted for 92.9 % of the observed variation, with PC1 having a large positive association with leaf area (0.439), plant height (0.419) and leaf length (0.418), a phenomenon that suggested that this component primarily measures plant biomass. Based on agglomerative hierarchical grouping, the samples were clustered into 6 groups. All the qualitative traits under study except the pod shape were intermixed among the samples and did not reveal proper distinctions among the species under study. This study serves as a basis for identification of additional edible species, in an effort to enhance food security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e02620"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02611
Bernard Kwamena Cobbina Essel , Miroslava Bavorova , Lovenger Appiah , Prince Asiedu , Faizal Adams , Emmanuel Tetteh Jumpah
Ghana, the world's second-largest cocoa producer, contributes nearly 45 % of global cocoa output but processes only 5 % domestically into high-value products. This study evaluates the financial feasibility of small-scale artisanal chocolate processing in Ghana. A case study in the Ga East district utilized capital budgeting techniques—discounted Net Present Value (NPV), Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), Internal Rate Of Return (IRR), and payback period. Findings indicate that an initial investment of GH₵29,776 (US$5,125) and annual operating costs of GH₵40,415 (US$6,957) are required. With a 27 % opportunity cost of capital, the financial appraisal shows a positive NPV of GH₵107,637 (US$18,525), a BCR of 1.75, and an IRR of 108.62 %. The payback period is estimated at 7 months. Investing in artisanal chocolate processing is financially viable and could positively impact local economic development and job creation. The study concludes that investment in entrepreneurship programmes,providing finacial support, and simplifying regulatory framework will improve artisanal enterprise chocolate processing.
{"title":"Boosting the industrial capacity of Ghana in artisanal chocolate processing; a financial feasibility study","authors":"Bernard Kwamena Cobbina Essel , Miroslava Bavorova , Lovenger Appiah , Prince Asiedu , Faizal Adams , Emmanuel Tetteh Jumpah","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ghana, the world's second-largest cocoa producer, contributes nearly 45 % of global cocoa output but processes only 5 % domestically into high-value products. This study evaluates the financial feasibility of small-scale artisanal chocolate processing in Ghana. A case study in the Ga East district utilized capital budgeting techniques—discounted Net Present Value (NPV), Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), Internal Rate Of Return (IRR), and payback period. Findings indicate that an initial investment of GH₵29,776 (US$5,125) and annual operating costs of GH₵40,415 (US$6,957) are required. With a 27 % opportunity cost of capital, the financial appraisal shows a positive NPV of GH₵107,637 (US$18,525), a BCR of 1.75, and an IRR of 108.62 %. The payback period is estimated at 7 months. Investing in artisanal chocolate processing is financially viable and could positively impact local economic development and job creation. The study concludes that investment in entrepreneurship programmes,providing finacial support, and simplifying regulatory framework will improve artisanal enterprise chocolate processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e02611"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143527065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02603
Precious Joseph Alegbe, Miriam Appiah-Brempong, Esi Awuah
Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in vegetables poses an enormous health risk to humans. This study assessed the heavy metal contents (Pb, Cr, Cd and Zn) in soils, irrigation water and vegetables using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The health risk associated with ingestion of these vegetables (spring onions, lettuce and cabbage) was also evaluated through non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk indices. The results revealed that the individual heavy metal concentrations in the soils, irrigation water and vegetables were below the standard limits set by FAO/WHO. The order of the vegetables based on their total heavy metal contents was cabbage (39.30 mg/kg) < spring onion (42.74 mg/kg) < lettuce (83.71 mg/kg). Lettuce, with the highest transfer factor of 1.47 was seen as a hyperaccumulator. Based on the hazard index, the order of the non-carcinogenic health risk posed by the heavy metals occurred as Cr > Zn > Cd > Pb with chromium being the most threatening heavy metal. Values of the total cancer risk index indicated that children were at a greater risk of cancer than adults. The findings from this study necessitate the development and implementation of mitigation measures to ensure food safety and protection of human health.
{"title":"Heavy metal contamination in vegetables and associated health risks","authors":"Precious Joseph Alegbe, Miriam Appiah-Brempong, Esi Awuah","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in vegetables poses an enormous health risk to humans. This study assessed the heavy metal contents (Pb, Cr, Cd and Zn) in soils, irrigation water and vegetables using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The health risk associated with ingestion of these vegetables (spring onions, lettuce and cabbage) was also evaluated through non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk indices. The results revealed that the individual heavy metal concentrations in the soils, irrigation water and vegetables were below the standard limits set by FAO/WHO. The order of the vegetables based on their total heavy metal contents was cabbage (39.30 mg/kg) < spring onion (42.74 mg/kg) < lettuce (83.71 mg/kg). Lettuce, with the highest transfer factor of 1.47 was seen as a hyperaccumulator. Based on the hazard index, the order of the non-carcinogenic health risk posed by the heavy metals occurred as Cr > Zn > Cd > Pb with chromium being the most threatening heavy metal. Values of the total cancer risk index indicated that children were at a greater risk of cancer than adults. The findings from this study necessitate the development and implementation of mitigation measures to ensure food safety and protection of human health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e02603"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143509308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This work covers the multifunctional capabilities of imidazo[4,5-d]pyridine series, previously designed, synthesized and tested for its corrosion, inhibitory activity, as well as its inhibition of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase activity. The study extends to the evaluation of their antimicrobial and antioxidant capacities. In particular, compound 1c shows significant antioxidant effects, highlighting potential applications against oxidative stress. Antibacterial studies reveal its efficacy, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus, suggesting targeted antibacterial applications. Furthermore, antifungal evaluations revealed that compound 1c (with 2-phenylnitro group in position 2) can also inhibit the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum, thus broadening its spectrum of bioactivity. These results not only underline the diverse pharmacological potential of imidazopyridine derivatives but also provide crucial information for future drug design and development.
{"title":"Synthesis, Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of some imidazo[4,5-d]pyridine derivatives","authors":"Soukaina Benkirane , Zineb El-Jabri , Houria Misbahi , Safia Sabir , Amin Laglaoui , Khalid Misbahi","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work covers the multifunctional capabilities of imidazo[4,5-d]pyridine series, previously designed, synthesized and tested for its corrosion, inhibitory activity, as well as its inhibition of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase activity. The study extends to the evaluation of their antimicrobial and antioxidant capacities. In particular, compound 1c shows significant antioxidant effects, highlighting potential applications against oxidative stress. Antibacterial studies reveal its efficacy, particularly against <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, suggesting targeted antibacterial applications. Furthermore, antifungal evaluations revealed that compound 1c (with 2-phenylnitro group in position 2) can also inhibit the mycelial growth of <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em>, thus broadening its spectrum of bioactivity. These results not only underline the diverse pharmacological potential of imidazopyridine derivatives but also provide crucial information for future drug design and development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e02625"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143548833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02596
Oluwakemi Y. Adeogun, Mukthar O. Abdulwaheed, Lukumon Adeoti, Olawale J. Allo, Olawunmi O. Fasakin, Oluwafemi O. Okunowo
Accurate estimation of water saturation (Sw) is critical for hydrocarbon exploration reservoir management, as it reveals the proportion of pore spaces filled with hydrocarbons and water. Determining Sw could be challenging in the absence of core data or resistivity logs. This informed the use of machine learning (ML) techniques to predict Sw in the "TM" Field, Niger Delta, where missing resistivity log data poses a challenge. Five ML models (XGBoost, AdaBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, and Gradient Boost) were deployed using well log data (caliper, gamma-ray, neutron, porosity, density, and shale volume) to estimate Sw at “TM” Field, Niger-Delta. The dataset includes 61,253 observations, which were split into training (70%) and testing (30%) sets. After preprocessing and correcting inconsistencies in the data, the five ML models were trained and hyperparameters tuned to optimize performance. The models were evaluated using standard statistical metrics: Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and R-squared (R²). To validate the performance of these models, predicted Sw values were compared with those estimated from resistivity logs. Likewise the predicted Sw from the five ML models were plotted against the Sw estimated from the resistivity data not used in the prediction process to validate and determine the quality of the predicted Sw from the ML models. Among the five ML models tested, XGBoost exhibited the best performance, with the highest R² value of 0.9992 and the lowest RMSE of 0.0071. Other models, such as CatBoost, LightGBM, and Gradient Boost, showed strong performance with correlation coefficients of 0.9785, 0.9732, and 0.9299, respectively, but were less accurate than XGBoost. AdaBoost, on the other hand, demonstrated the poorest performance with a correlation coefficient of 0.4381 and the highest RMSE of 0.2082. The cross plot of the predicted Sw from XGBoost's model and actual Sw from Archie's equation had the highest correlation coefficient of 0.9, providing quality prediction thereby aligning with the statistical metrics. Hence, this study has identified Xgboost to be a promising ML tool that could be used to efficiently predict Sw without the use of resistivity data at “TM” Field Niger Delta and this could be applied in other similar geological settings.
{"title":"Machine learning approach in predicting water saturation using well data at “TM” Niger Delta","authors":"Oluwakemi Y. Adeogun, Mukthar O. Abdulwaheed, Lukumon Adeoti, Olawale J. Allo, Olawunmi O. Fasakin, Oluwafemi O. Okunowo","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate estimation of water saturation (Sw) is critical for hydrocarbon exploration reservoir management, as it reveals the proportion of pore spaces filled with hydrocarbons and water. Determining Sw could be challenging in the absence of core data or resistivity logs. This informed the use of machine learning (ML) techniques to predict Sw in the \"TM\" Field, Niger Delta, where missing resistivity log data poses a challenge. Five ML models (XGBoost, AdaBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, and Gradient Boost) were deployed using well log data (caliper, gamma-ray, neutron, porosity, density, and shale volume) to estimate Sw at “TM” Field, Niger-Delta. The dataset includes 61,253 observations, which were split into training (70%) and testing (30%) sets. After preprocessing and correcting inconsistencies in the data, the five ML models were trained and hyperparameters tuned to optimize performance. The models were evaluated using standard statistical metrics: Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and R-squared (R²). To validate the performance of these models, predicted Sw values were compared with those estimated from resistivity logs. Likewise the predicted Sw from the five ML models were plotted against the Sw estimated from the resistivity data not used in the prediction process to validate and determine the quality of the predicted Sw from the ML models. Among the five ML models tested, XGBoost exhibited the best performance, with the highest R² value of 0.9992 and the lowest RMSE of 0.0071. Other models, such as CatBoost, LightGBM, and Gradient Boost, showed strong performance with correlation coefficients of 0.9785, 0.9732, and 0.9299, respectively, but were less accurate than XGBoost. AdaBoost, on the other hand, demonstrated the poorest performance with a correlation coefficient of 0.4381 and the highest RMSE of 0.2082. The cross plot of the predicted Sw from XGBoost's model and actual Sw from Archie's equation had the highest correlation coefficient of 0.9, providing quality prediction thereby aligning with the statistical metrics. Hence, this study has identified Xgboost to be a promising ML tool that could be used to efficiently predict Sw without the use of resistivity data at “TM” Field Niger Delta and this could be applied in other similar geological settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e02596"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143548835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02614
Abera Aboset Bedasa , Emana Getu Degaga
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Smith was first reported in Ethiopia in 2017. Since then, it is spreading throughout the country and caused substantial damage to maize farms, and threatening food security. Objectives of the study were to assess predictors influencing the severity level of irrigated maize due to S. frugiperda and to give an account of possible local natural enemy communities in irrigated maize farms in the Bako-Tibe district of central Ethiopia. Irrigated maize farms were selected purposively. Five randomly selected plots sampled in a "W" design, each comprising 10 consecutive plants. The study performed in longitudinal approach. The result shows farms and maize growth stages were among the first and second-best significant indicators of severity level, respectively. Farmers utilized various agronomic activities, such as varying the dates of sowing. The infestation rate, larvae density, and severity of irrigated maize plants ranged in values from 58.0 to 98.0 %, 1.1 to 5.69, and 2.35 to 8.47 respectively. There were no longer any early-planted maize farms. From plants seeded between mid-December and March, green ears of maize were harvested. Visually identified S. frugiperda predators include weaver birds, frogs, and insects belong to order Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Hemiptera and Hymenoptera. To minimize S. frugiperda damage level farmers’ sprayed insecticides, 80 % belonged to WHO toxic class II, which are moderately hazardous insecticides. Vernonia spp. and Justice schimperina used as botanical source bio-pesticides. Based on results, we suggest that frequent irrigation, late planting (starting in December), intercropping, and fertilizer application are effective S. frugiperda impact mitigation techniques for the cultivation of irrigated maize.
{"title":"Predictors affecting the severity of irrigated maize due to fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, Smith) and its natural enemies in Bako-Tibe district, central Ethiopia","authors":"Abera Aboset Bedasa , Emana Getu Degaga","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02614","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02614","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fall armyworm, <em>Spodoptera frugiperda</em> Smith was first reported in Ethiopia in 2017. Since then, it is spreading throughout the country and caused substantial damage to maize farms, and threatening food security. Objectives of the study were to assess predictors influencing the severity level of irrigated maize due to <em>S. frugiperda</em> and to give an account of possible local natural enemy communities in irrigated maize farms in the Bako-Tibe district of central Ethiopia. Irrigated maize farms were selected purposively. Five randomly selected plots sampled in a \"W\" design, each comprising 10 consecutive plants. The study performed in longitudinal approach. The result shows farms and maize growth stages were among the first and second-best significant indicators of severity level, respectively. Farmers utilized various agronomic activities, such as varying the dates of sowing. The infestation rate, larvae density, and severity of irrigated maize plants ranged in values from 58.0 to 98.0 %, 1.1 to 5.69, and 2.35 to 8.47 respectively. There were no longer any early-planted maize farms. From plants seeded between mid-December and March, green ears of maize were harvested. Visually identified <em>S. frugiperda</em> predators include weaver birds, frogs, and insects belong to order Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Hemiptera and Hymenoptera. To minimize <em>S. frugiperda</em> damage level farmers’ sprayed insecticides, 80 % belonged to WHO toxic class II, which are moderately hazardous insecticides. <em>Vernonia</em> spp. and <em>Justice schimperina</em> used as botanical source bio-pesticides. Based on results, we suggest that frequent irrigation, late planting (starting in December), intercropping, and fertilizer application are effective <em>S. frugiperda</em> impact mitigation techniques for the cultivation of irrigated maize.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e02614"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143527496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a main cereal crop for livestock and human consumption worldwide. Maize production must increase by 70 % by 2050 to feed the growing population. However, the crop has many challenges, including its suitability for aflatoxigenic fungus (Aspergillus flavus). The present study investigated the aflatoxigenic levels of twenty (20) maize cultivars using the lab-based kernel screening assay. The results revealed that the cultivar MHL517 (Provitamin A) had no detectable levels of aflatoxins (<nd) and a low colonization rate compared to the best resistance checks (RC212741 and RC 21166) used. The results reveal that Aflatoxin B1 and total Aflatoxin (TA) levels were high in Genotype SC173531 and TO 104 with (AFB1 = 714.3 µg/kg, TA = 662.6 µg/kg) and (AFB1 = 681.6 µg/kg, TA = 576.6 µg/kg), respectively, indicating its susceptibility to A. flavus. A PCR-based detection technique revealed the presence of the resistance TC23674 gene in resistant cultivars, including the resistant check inbred lines, that were not found in susceptible cultivars. The findings showed that maize grain exhibiting greater proVA and beta carotene concentrations had lower aflatoxin contamination than grain exhibiting lower carotenoid concentrations. The MHL517 cultivar was determined to be the most promising among the examined cultivars, and the study proposed that it may be used in commercial hybrids to develop fungal-resistant cultivars. Therefore, a higher level of proVA and beta carotene in maize can be a successful first line of defense against aflatoxin contamination.
{"title":"Identification of sources of resistance against Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin contamination in maize cultivars using molecular and kernel screening assay","authors":"Seuri Losieki Mollel , Liberatus Dominick Lyimo , Rashid Suleiman","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) is a main cereal crop for livestock and human consumption worldwide. Maize production must increase by 70 % by 2050 to feed the growing population. However, the crop has many challenges, including its suitability for aflatoxigenic fungus (<em>Aspergillus flavus</em>). The present study investigated the aflatoxigenic levels of twenty (20) maize cultivars using the lab-based kernel screening assay. The results revealed that the cultivar MHL517 (Provitamin A) had no detectable levels of aflatoxins (<nd) and a low colonization rate compared to the best resistance checks (RC212741 and RC 21166) used. The results reveal that Aflatoxin B1 and total Aflatoxin (TA) levels were high in Genotype SC173531 and TO 104 with (AFB1 = 714.3 µg/kg, TA = 662.6 µg/kg) and (AFB1 = 681.6 µg/kg, TA = 576.6 µg/kg), respectively, indicating its susceptibility to <em>A. flavus.</em> A PCR-based detection technique revealed the presence of the resistance TC23674 gene in resistant cultivars, including the resistant check inbred lines, that were not found in susceptible cultivars. The findings showed that maize grain exhibiting greater proVA and beta carotene concentrations had lower aflatoxin contamination than grain exhibiting lower carotenoid concentrations. The MHL517 cultivar was determined to be the most promising among the examined cultivars, and the study proposed that it may be used in commercial hybrids to develop fungal-resistant cultivars. Therefore, a higher level of proVA and beta carotene in maize can be a successful first line of defense against aflatoxin contamination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02622"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02624
Seyoum Kiros , Afework Bekele
Rodent pests’ data were assessed through semi-structured questionnaires, trapping, visual surveys, and indirect evidence. A total of 281 households from eight Kebeles were interviewed. Moreover, 49 live Sherman and 25 snap traps were set in randomly selected farmland. A total of 318 rodents belonging to Arvicanthis niloticus, Lemniscomys striatus, Mastomys awashensis, Mastomys natalensis and Rattus rattus were recorded. Hystrix cristata and Tachyoryctes splendens also documented as crop pests of the study area. Mastomys natalensis was numerically the most abundant species represented with 145(45.60 %) individuals. About 70.53 % of the respondents stated that maize is the most susceptible crop type to rodent pests and damage is higher during pre-harvesting (70.22 %) stage. A high proportion (67.59 %) of the respondents stated that rodent pest control techniques were predominantly applied after planting stage. To minimize rodent pest attacks, 59.17 % and 61.14 % of the respondents applied rodenticides and domestic cats in the field and at storage stages, respectively. It should be necessary to create awareness for local people and cooperative work among responsible stakeholders to minimize farmers' dependence on rodenticides.
{"title":"Local knowledge and practices on rodent pests in and around Gibe Sheleko National Park, Central Ethiopia","authors":"Seyoum Kiros , Afework Bekele","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rodent pests’ data were assessed through semi-structured questionnaires, trapping, visual surveys, and indirect evidence. A total of 281 households from eight Kebeles were interviewed. Moreover, 49 live Sherman and 25 snap traps were set in randomly selected farmland. A total of 318 rodents belonging to Arvicanthis niloticus, Lemniscomys striatus, Mastomys awashensis, Mastomys natalensis and Rattus rattus were recorded. Hystrix cristata and Tachyoryctes splendens also documented as crop pests of the study area. Mastomys natalensis was numerically the most abundant species represented with 145(45.60 %) individuals. About 70.53 % of the respondents stated that maize is the most susceptible crop type to rodent pests and damage is higher during pre-harvesting (70.22 %) stage. A high proportion (67.59 %) of the respondents stated that rodent pest control techniques were predominantly applied after planting stage. To minimize rodent pest attacks, 59.17 % and 61.14 % of the respondents applied rodenticides and domestic cats in the field and at storage stages, respectively. It should be necessary to create awareness for local people and cooperative work among responsible stakeholders to minimize farmers' dependence on rodenticides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02624"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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