Pub Date : 2010-01-13DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V15I1.49427
A. Abdul-Razak, A. Asiedu, R. Entsua-Mensah, K. deGraft-Johnson
Oti river, an important tributary of the Volta lake in Ghana, was chosen as a case study to investigate the variations in the quality of its water at different locations. This was necessitated by the people’s reliance on the river for their domestic and agricultural water use. Composite water samples drawn from some sections of the Oti river were analysed in the laboratory for certain parameters to enable assessment of water quality. The observed results of the laboratory analyses are compared with the 2003 Ghana Raw Water Criteria and Guidelines for domestic use. The results indicated that turbidity, total iron, faecal coliforms and total coliforms were above the limits set out by the 2003 Ghana Raw Water Criteria and Guidelines for domestic use. Thus, the water from Oti river was considered unsuitable for direct human consumption at the sampled locations. Using the Water Quality Index (WQI) Calculator 1.0, the WQI for Oti river was calculated to be 39.3. The WQI indicates that water quality in the Oti river was poor. This implies that the water quality is almost always threatened or impaired; conditions usually depart from natural or desirable levels. Public awareness with respect to the need to boil and/or filter the water before drinking is called for. Sanitary facilities to control river pollution and appropriate water treatments techniques are required in the area to improve the welfare of the riparian dwellers.
{"title":"Assessment of the Water Quality of the Oti River in Ghana","authors":"A. Abdul-Razak, A. Asiedu, R. Entsua-Mensah, K. deGraft-Johnson","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V15I1.49427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V15I1.49427","url":null,"abstract":"Oti river, an important tributary of the Volta lake in Ghana, was chosen as a case study to investigate the variations in the quality of its water at different locations. This was necessitated by the people’s reliance on the river for their domestic and agricultural water use. Composite water samples drawn from some sections of the Oti river were analysed in the laboratory for certain parameters to enable assessment of water quality. The observed results of the laboratory analyses are compared with the 2003 Ghana Raw Water Criteria and Guidelines for domestic use. The results indicated that turbidity, total iron, faecal coliforms and total coliforms were above the limits set out by the 2003 Ghana Raw Water Criteria and Guidelines for domestic use. Thus, the water from Oti river was considered unsuitable for direct human consumption at the sampled locations. Using the Water Quality Index (WQI) Calculator 1.0, the WQI for Oti river was calculated to be 39.3. The WQI indicates that water quality in the Oti river was poor. This implies that the water quality is almost always threatened or impaired; conditions usually depart from natural or desirable levels. Public awareness with respect to the need to boil and/or filter the water before drinking is called for. Sanitary facilities to control river pollution and appropriate water treatments techniques are required in the area to improve the welfare of the riparian dwellers.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"15 1","pages":"51-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/WAJAE.V15I1.49427","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70684976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2010-01-13DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V15I1.49430
Kb Pelig-Ba
Stable isotope (18O and 2H) contents of groundwater and some surface waters from the Northern Region of Ghana were studied. Transmissivity values are obtained using the screen length and hydraulic conductivity. These values were low corresponding to low groundwater recharge. The results of stable isotope content showed that groundwater is recharged from local precipitation but suffers evaporation during transit from the atmosphere to the water table. Infiltration to groundwater table is very slow resulting in low recharge. Furthermore, the isotope enrichment increases from the northeast to southwest (Voltaian to Basement Complexes) in the direction of the harmattan winds.
{"title":"Analysis of Stable Isotope Contents of Surface and Underground Water in Two Main Geological Formations in the Northern Region of Ghana","authors":"Kb Pelig-Ba","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V15I1.49430","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V15I1.49430","url":null,"abstract":"Stable isotope (18O and 2H) contents of groundwater and some surface waters from the Northern Region of Ghana were studied. Transmissivity values are obtained using the screen length and hydraulic conductivity. These values were low corresponding to low groundwater recharge. The results of stable isotope content showed that groundwater is recharged from local precipitation but suffers evaporation during transit from the atmosphere to the water table. Infiltration to groundwater table is very slow resulting in low recharge. Furthermore, the isotope enrichment increases from the northeast to southwest (Voltaian to Basement Complexes) in the direction of the harmattan winds.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"47 1","pages":"65-72"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/WAJAE.V15I1.49430","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70685142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2010-01-01DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65138
G. Futagbi, D. Agyei, I. F. Aboagye, D. Yirenya-Tawiah, D. Edoh
The profiles of intestinal parasites of the grasscutter were investigated in 21 grasscutters collected from Kwaebibirem District in the Eastern Region of Ghana between January and April 2005. The aim of the study was to investigate the parasitic profile of the grasscutter in a forest zone and provide information for grasscutter farming. The intestinal content of the animals were examined with the aid of a hand lens, a microscope and direct smear method. The parasites identified include helminthes such as Ancylostoma sp., Trichuris sp., Ascaris sp., Hymenolepis sp. and Schistosoma haematobium, and protozoans such as Giardia sp. and Entamoeba sp. Almost all (95.2%) of the grasscutters were infected with Ancylostoma sp., the most prevalent parasite species in the study, followed by Giardia sp. (85.7%). More than 80% of the grasscutters were infected with at least four parasite species and 33% were infected with at least five parasite species. The study, therefore, prescribes routine treatment of grasscutters obtained from the wild before they are domesticated or added to the already domesticated ones. This will help prevent reduced productivity due to parasitic infections.
{"title":"Intestinal Parasites of the Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck 1827) from the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region of Ghana","authors":"G. Futagbi, D. Agyei, I. F. Aboagye, D. Yirenya-Tawiah, D. Edoh","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65138","url":null,"abstract":"The profiles of intestinal parasites of the grasscutter were investigated in 21 grasscutters collected from Kwaebibirem District in the Eastern Region of Ghana between January and April 2005. The aim of the study was to investigate the parasitic profile of the grasscutter in a forest zone and provide information for grasscutter farming. The intestinal content of the animals were examined with the aid of a hand lens, a microscope and direct smear method. The parasites identified include helminthes such as Ancylostoma sp., Trichuris sp., Ascaris sp., Hymenolepis sp. and Schistosoma haematobium, and protozoans such as Giardia sp. and Entamoeba sp. Almost all (95.2%) of the grasscutters were infected with Ancylostoma sp., the most prevalent parasite species in the study, followed by Giardia sp. (85.7%). More than 80% of the grasscutters were infected with at least four parasite species and 33% were infected with at least five parasite species. The study, therefore, prescribes routine treatment of grasscutters obtained from the wild before they are domesticated or added to the already domesticated ones. This will help prevent reduced productivity due to parasitic infections.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"17 1","pages":"81-86"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70693781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2010-01-01DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65140
E. Ewusie, M. Parajulee, D. Adabie-Gomez, D. Wester
Insect pests and diseases are a major limiting factor to cassava production in Africa. The cassava mosaic virus disease (CMVD), caused by cassava mosaic geminiviruses (CMGs) (Geminiviridae: Begomovirus) and transmitted by whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius , threatens the production of the crop in Africa, causing an estimated annual yield loss of over 1.5 billion US dollars. A 6-month field experiments were conducted to explore the potential of using strip cropping to reduce whitefly infestations in cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae). Five rows each of cassava, Jatropha and cotton were grown around a 10-row (1 m row width) × 25 m cassava plots in a randomized complete block design. At weekly intervals, the levels of whiteflies infestations (number of eggs, nymphs and adults) per plot were determined. A significantly lower numbers of immature (egg and nymph) and adult Bemisia tabaci were found in cassava plots surrounded on all sides by five rows of both cotton and Jatropha curcas, clearly demonstrating the potential of strip cropping as a management option for the suppression of Bemisia tabaci populations.
病虫害是制约非洲木薯生产的主要因素。木薯花叶病毒病(CMVD)由木薯花叶双病毒(双病毒科:begomvirus)引起，由白蝇(烟粉虱)传播，威胁着非洲作物的生产，估计每年造成超过15亿美元的产量损失。通过为期6个月的田间试验，探讨了采用带状种植减少木薯粉虱侵害的潜力。采用完全随机区组设计，在10行(行宽1 m) × 25 m的木薯地块上种植木薯、麻疯树和棉花各5行。每隔一周，测定每个样地的白蝇侵染水平(卵、若虫和成虫的数量)。在被5行棉花和麻疯树包围的木薯地块中，发现烟粉虱未成熟(卵和若虫)和成虫的数量明显较低，这清楚地表明了带状种植作为抑制烟粉虱种群的一种管理选择的潜力。
{"title":"Strip Cropping: A Potential IPM Tool for Reducing Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Infestations in Cassava","authors":"E. Ewusie, M. Parajulee, D. Adabie-Gomez, D. Wester","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65140","url":null,"abstract":"Insect pests and diseases are a major limiting factor to cassava production in Africa. The cassava mosaic virus disease (CMVD), caused by cassava mosaic geminiviruses (CMGs) (Geminiviridae: Begomovirus) and transmitted by whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius , threatens the production of the crop in Africa, causing an estimated annual yield loss of over 1.5 billion US dollars. A 6-month field experiments were conducted to explore the potential of using strip cropping to reduce whitefly infestations in cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae). Five rows each of cassava, Jatropha and cotton were grown around a 10-row (1 m row width) × 25 m cassava plots in a randomized complete block design. At weekly intervals, the levels of whiteflies infestations (number of eggs, nymphs and adults) per plot were determined. A significantly lower numbers of immature (egg and nymph) and adult Bemisia tabaci were found in cassava plots surrounded on all sides by five rows of both cotton and Jatropha curcas, clearly demonstrating the potential of strip cropping as a management option for the suppression of Bemisia tabaci populations.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"17 1","pages":"109-119"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70693798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2010-01-01DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65134
S. Buah, A. B. Huudu, B. Ahiabor, S. Yakubu, M. Abu-Juam
Grain sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important staple food crop in the savanna zone of Ghana. Surveys to determine farmers’ perception, crop management strategies and variety maintenance of neglected sorghum landraces were conducted in the Upper West Region of Ghana in 2004. Fifty-nine samples of the neglected landraces were collected from farmers and screened in an observation nursery in 2005 and 2006. Local landraces cultivated by subsistence farmers were 3–4.5 m tall and required 90–180 days to mature. Farmers classified them into three maturity groups: early medium and late-maturing varieties. Early maturing landraces were found in drier northwestern areas of the region and took about 90–115 days to mature. The intermediate ones matured in about 120–135 days. The late maturing landraces were found in the wetter south and are typically more than 4 m tall, requiring 140–180 days to mature. Most of the neglected sorghum landraces are either late maturing, have low yield potential, or are no longer adapted to the climatic and environmental conditions of the Region. The study showed a possible duplication among the landraces collected. Farmer preference criteria for local sorghum are based largely on food quality (overall ability to give good tuo), stable grain yield, brewing quality, earliness, grain quality and drought tolerance. Further improvement of sorghum must take these selection criteria and differences into account. It is clear that indigenous sorghum genetic material is being eroded and, therefore, measures must be taken to conserve existing landraces.
{"title":"Farmer assessment, conservation and utilization of endangered sorghum landraces in the Upper West Region of Ghana.","authors":"S. Buah, A. B. Huudu, B. Ahiabor, S. Yakubu, M. Abu-Juam","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V17I1.65134","url":null,"abstract":"Grain sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important staple food crop in the savanna zone of Ghana. Surveys to determine farmers’ perception, crop management strategies and variety maintenance of neglected sorghum landraces were conducted in the Upper West Region of Ghana in 2004. Fifty-nine samples of the neglected landraces were collected from farmers and screened in an observation nursery in 2005 and 2006. Local landraces cultivated by subsistence farmers were 3–4.5 m tall and required 90–180 days to mature. Farmers classified them into three maturity groups: early medium and late-maturing varieties. Early maturing landraces were found in drier northwestern areas of the region and took about 90–115 days to mature. The intermediate ones matured in about 120–135 days. The late maturing landraces were found in the wetter south and are typically more than 4 m tall, requiring 140–180 days to mature. Most of the neglected sorghum landraces are either late maturing, have low yield potential, or are no longer adapted to the climatic and environmental conditions of the Region. The study showed a possible duplication among the landraces collected. Farmer preference criteria for local sorghum are based largely on food quality (overall ability to give good tuo), stable grain yield, brewing quality, earliness, grain quality and drought tolerance. Further improvement of sorghum must take these selection criteria and differences into account. It is clear that indigenous sorghum genetic material is being eroded and, therefore, measures must be taken to conserve existing landraces.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"17 1","pages":"11-25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70693485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2009-09-08DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45782
E. H. Owusu, E. Ekpe, A. Asamoah
The Mount Afadjato and Agumatsa Range Conservation Area (AACA) is one of the globally important bird area in Ghana, currently being managed through community-based conservation actions by local people with the support of the Ghana Wildlife Society. As in many other Ghanaian communities the mammal fauna of the site continue to decline as a result of many factors, basically anthropogenic in origin. The aim of the study was to assess the status of large mammals in the area in terms of their diversity, relative abundance, density, and species of local, national and international conservation concern, and the factors likely to affect these variables. The diversity, relative abundance and densities of mammal species at the site are one of the lowest in Ghanaian forests. There is every indication that the major factors causing the decline in mammal population in the area are habitat degradation and hunting pressure. As in many other communities in the West African sub-region, all mammals are negatively impacted upon by human activities. Consequently, given that whatever activities being proposed by the locally initiated community-based conservation programme will greatly depend on availability of wildlife, especially for ecotourism, there is a need for a more pragmatic approach to conserve the remaining wildlife without further delay.
{"title":"Large mammal Fauna of the Afadjato and Agumatsa range in Ghana: An important bird area","authors":"E. H. Owusu, E. Ekpe, A. Asamoah","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45782","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45782","url":null,"abstract":"The Mount Afadjato and Agumatsa Range Conservation Area (AACA) is one of the globally important bird area in Ghana, currently being managed through community-based conservation actions by local people with the support of the Ghana Wildlife Society. As in many other Ghanaian communities the mammal fauna of the site continue to decline as a result of many factors, basically anthropogenic in origin. The aim of the study was to assess the status of large mammals in the area in terms of their diversity, relative abundance, density, and species of local, national and international conservation concern, and the factors likely to affect these variables. The diversity, relative abundance and densities of mammal species at the site are one of the lowest in Ghanaian forests. There is every indication that the major factors causing the decline in mammal population in the area are habitat degradation and hunting pressure. As in many other communities in the West African sub-region, all mammals are negatively impacted upon by human activities. Consequently, given that whatever activities being proposed by the locally initiated community-based conservation programme will greatly depend on availability of wildlife, especially for ecotourism, there is a need for a more pragmatic approach to conserve the remaining wildlife without further delay.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45782","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70414506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2009-09-08DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45786
Hr Dankwa, J. Blay, K. Yankson
Food and feeding habits of grey mullets (Mugilidae) in the River Volta and River Pra estuaries in Ghana were studied between February 1997 and July 1998 as part of efforts to encourage their culture. Stomach contents of fish samples, obtained with a cast net and a drag net, were analysed using the ‘points’ and frequency of occurrence method. Diatoms, detrital material and sand particles were the major items in the stomachs of all the species from the two estuaries. Their diet did not show any substantial seasonality, neither did it change with size. The various species ingested sand particles of selected range with Liza dumerilii ingesting the widest range in both estuaries, 41.2-1195.8 im in the Volta estuary, and 33.0-1649.0 im in the Pra estuary. Species that ingested the same modal size of sand particles showed preferences for different food items. The shortest mean relative gut length (gut length to body length ratio) of 1.82 and 1.72 were calculated for L. dumerilii in the Volta and Pra estuaries, respectively, while the longest mean relative gut length of 4.56 was calculated for Mugil cephalus in the Volta estuary and 4.33 for Liza grandisquamis in the Pra estuary. All the species showed a diurnal feeding habit, with the main feeding period occurring between 08.00 and 12.00 h. The peak feeding time, however, differed among the species.
{"title":"Food and feeding habits of grey Mullets (Pisces: Mugilidae) in two estuaries in Ghana","authors":"Hr Dankwa, J. Blay, K. Yankson","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45786","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45786","url":null,"abstract":"Food and feeding habits of grey mullets (Mugilidae) in the River Volta and River Pra estuaries in Ghana were studied between February 1997 and July 1998 as part of efforts to encourage their culture. Stomach contents of fish samples, obtained with a cast net and a drag net, were analysed using the ‘points’ and frequency of occurrence method. Diatoms, detrital material and sand particles were the major items in the stomachs of all the species from the two estuaries. Their diet did not show any substantial seasonality, neither did it change with size. The various species ingested sand particles of selected range with Liza dumerilii ingesting the widest range in both estuaries, 41.2-1195.8 im in the Volta estuary, and 33.0-1649.0 im in the Pra estuary. Species that ingested the same modal size of sand particles showed preferences for different food items. The shortest mean relative gut length (gut length to body length ratio) of 1.82 and 1.72 were calculated for L. dumerilii in the Volta and Pra estuaries, respectively, while the longest mean relative gut length of 4.56 was calculated for Mugil cephalus in the Volta estuary and 4.33 for Liza grandisquamis in the Pra estuary. All the species showed a diurnal feeding habit, with the main feeding period occurring between 08.00 and 12.00 h. The peak feeding time, however, differed among the species.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45786","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70414616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2009-09-08DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45789
S. Boateng
The effect of Mucuna pruriens, a herbaceous legume, on some properties of a forest acrisol was examined in RCBD experiment of four treatments: control, NPK fertilizer, mucuna incorporation and mucuna mulch. At flowering, the fresh biomass was cut at soil level, chopped up and applied to the soil either by incorporation or as mulch. In both cases, mucuna improved the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. Available soil moisture content increased from 9.54% to values between 10.20% and 11.40% while bulk density reduced from 1.42 to 1.36 Mg m-3. Total N increased from 0.14% to 0.18%. Organic C and K levels did not change while P was slightly reduced. Earthworm populations in the mucuna plots were three times higher than those plots without mucuna. Mucuna suppressed weed growth. These improvements in the physical and chemical properties are indicators of the potential of M. pruriens in enhancing crop yields.
{"title":"Mucuna pruriens and its effect on some physical, chemical and biological properties of a Forest Acrisol","authors":"S. Boateng","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45789","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45789","url":null,"abstract":"The effect of Mucuna pruriens, a herbaceous legume, on some properties of a forest acrisol was examined in RCBD experiment of four treatments: control, NPK fertilizer, mucuna incorporation and mucuna mulch. At flowering, the fresh biomass was cut at soil level, chopped up and applied to the soil either by incorporation or as mulch. In both cases, mucuna improved the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. Available soil moisture content increased from 9.54% to values between 10.20% and 11.40% while bulk density reduced from 1.42 to 1.36 Mg m-3. Total N increased from 0.14% to 0.18%. Organic C and K levels did not change while P was slightly reduced. Earthworm populations in the mucuna plots were three times higher than those plots without mucuna. Mucuna suppressed weed growth. These improvements in the physical and chemical properties are indicators of the potential of M. pruriens in enhancing crop yields.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45789","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70414640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2009-09-08DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45803
E. Akinrinde, K. Okeleye
The effectiveness of Sokoto and Ogun rock phosphates (RP) as substitutes for the conventional phosphorus (P) fertilizer sources in the production of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and okra (Hibiscus esculentus) were evaluated using single super-phosphate (SSP) as reference. Their residual effects were also investigated using rice (Oryzae sativa) and soybean (Glysine max). The two experiments were 2 × 2 × 4 factorial combinations with completely randomized design (CRD) involving two crops, two soils, three P-fertilizer sources and a control. The treatment combinations were replicated four times to give a total of 64 pots, each containing 5 kg of either a slightly acid (pH 6.3) alfisol (Typic Paleudalf) A, from Abeokuta (rainforest ecological zone) or a medium acid (pH 5.9) alfisol (Oxic Paleustalf) B, from Zaria (southern Guinea savanna zone). The soils represent a wide range of Nigerian soils with medium to low P-availability and cultivated to various food and economic crops. The rock phosphates (particularly SRP) were more efficient than SSP in soil A but had less than 50% relative agronomic efficiency (RAE) in soil B, especially when tomato was the test crop. They also had higher RAE in soil A than in soil B when okra was grown, though the efficiency was not as high as that of the reference fertilizer. In the slightly acid alfisol (A), ORP was less efficient than SRP whereas it had 47.8% RAE compared with 34.9% RAE for SRP in the medium acid soil. In the second cropping, the soil from the rainforest zone still produced greater biomass than soil B while soybean gave more biomass than rice. The results confirmed that, apart from crop species to be grown, organic matter and clay contents as well as pH of soils should be considered for efficient utilization of the sparingly soluble phosphates for both short- and long- term effects in crop production.
{"title":"Short- and long-term effects of sparingly soluble phosphates on crop production in two contrasting Nigerian Alfisols","authors":"E. Akinrinde, K. Okeleye","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45803","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45803","url":null,"abstract":"The effectiveness of Sokoto and Ogun rock phosphates (RP) as substitutes for the conventional phosphorus (P) fertilizer sources in the production of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and okra (Hibiscus esculentus) were evaluated using single super-phosphate (SSP) as reference. Their residual effects were also investigated using rice (Oryzae sativa) and soybean (Glysine max). The two experiments were 2 × 2 × 4 factorial combinations with completely randomized design (CRD) involving two crops, two soils, three P-fertilizer sources and a control. The treatment combinations were replicated four times to give a total of 64 pots, each containing 5 kg of either a slightly acid (pH 6.3) alfisol (Typic Paleudalf) A, from Abeokuta (rainforest ecological zone) or a medium acid (pH 5.9) alfisol (Oxic Paleustalf) B, from Zaria (southern Guinea savanna zone). The soils represent a wide range of Nigerian soils with medium to low P-availability and cultivated to various food and economic crops. The rock phosphates (particularly SRP) were more efficient than SSP in soil A but had less than 50% relative agronomic efficiency (RAE) in soil B, especially when tomato was the test crop. They also had higher RAE in soil A than in soil B when okra was grown, though the efficiency was not as high as that of the reference fertilizer. In the slightly acid alfisol (A), ORP was less efficient than SRP whereas it had 47.8% RAE compared with 34.9% RAE for SRP in the medium acid soil. In the second cropping, the soil from the rainforest zone still produced greater biomass than soil B while soybean gave more biomass than rice. The results confirmed that, apart from crop species to be grown, organic matter and clay contents as well as pH of soils should be considered for efficient utilization of the sparingly soluble phosphates for both short- and long- term effects in crop production.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45803","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70415284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2009-09-08DOI: 10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45781
J. Kombiok, K. Elemo
Most recommended fertilizer rates available for crops in the northern savanna zone of Nigeria are for crops in monoculture. In order to be able to recommend to farmers the rates of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to be applied to maize and rice in an intercropping system to increase crop yields, a field experiment was conducted at the Samaru farm of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Nigeria (Lat. 11o 11’ N and Long. 07o 38’ E) at 680 m above sea level on a sandy loam soil in 1990 and 1992. Factorial combination of four levels of N (0, 60, 120 and 180 kg ha-1) and three levels of P (0, 13.2 and 26.4 kg ha-1) were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. Yield components of maize such as ears/m2 increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of N and P but no significant changes were observed in shelling percentage and 100 seed weight of maize. The number of panicles/m2 and number of tillers/plant were the yield components of rice that responded significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of N and P. Threshing percent and 1000 seed weight of rice were not significantly affected by increasing levels of N and P. Grain yields of maize and rice increased significantly (P < 0.05) by raising the levels of N and P. The application of 13.2 kg P ha-1 at each level of N significantly (P < 0.05) increased maize and rice yields. However, the highest grain yields of both crops were obtained when 120 kg N ha-1 and 13.2 kg P ha-1 were applied.
尼日利亚北部热带稀树草原地区的作物可获得的最推荐肥料比例是用于单一栽培的作物。为了能够向农民推荐在间作系统中玉米和水稻应施用的氮(N)和磷(P)的比例以提高作物产量，1990年和1992年在尼日利亚农业研究所(IAR)的Samaru农场(北纬110 ~ 11′和东经70 ~ 38′)海拔680米的沙质壤土上进行了田间试验。采用随机完全区组设计(RCBD)，采用4个重复，4个水平N(0、60、120和180 kg ha-1)和3个水平P(0、13.2和26.4 kg ha-1)的因子组合。穗数/m2等玉米产量组成要素随着氮、磷水平的增加而显著增加(P < 0.05)，但玉米脱壳率和百粒重无显著变化。圆锥花序的数量/ m2和分蘖数量/工厂是大米的产量构成反应显著(P < 0.05)水平增加的N和P .脱粒和1000年种子重量百分比的大米通过增加水平没有显著影响(N, P .粮食产量的玉米和大米显著增加(P < 0.05)提高N和P的水平13.2公斤的应用P是在每个级别的N显著(P < 0.05)玉米和水稻产量增加。两种作物的产量均以施氮量为120 kg hm -1、施磷量为13.2 kg hm -1时最高。
{"title":"The influence of N and P on maize yield and yield components in maize/rice mixture in the Northern Savanna Zone of Nigeria","authors":"J. Kombiok, K. Elemo","doi":"10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45781","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45781","url":null,"abstract":"Most recommended fertilizer rates available for crops in the northern savanna zone of Nigeria are for crops in monoculture. In order to be able to recommend to farmers the rates of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to be applied to maize and rice in an intercropping system to increase crop yields, a field experiment was conducted at the Samaru farm of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Nigeria (Lat. 11o 11’ N and Long. 07o 38’ E) at 680 m above sea level on a sandy loam soil in 1990 and 1992. Factorial combination of four levels of N (0, 60, 120 and 180 kg ha-1) and three levels of P (0, 13.2 and 26.4 kg ha-1) were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. Yield components of maize such as ears/m2 increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of N and P but no significant changes were observed in shelling percentage and 100 seed weight of maize. The number of panicles/m2 and number of tillers/plant were the yield components of rice that responded significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of N and P. Threshing percent and 1000 seed weight of rice were not significantly affected by increasing levels of N and P. Grain yields of maize and rice increased significantly (P < 0.05) by raising the levels of N and P. The application of 13.2 kg P ha-1 at each level of N significantly (P < 0.05) increased maize and rice yields. However, the highest grain yields of both crops were obtained when 120 kg N ha-1 and 13.2 kg P ha-1 were applied.","PeriodicalId":39286,"journal":{"name":"West African Journal of Applied Ecology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4314/WAJAE.V8I1.45781","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70414496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：