July 2008
Livelihoods and rural wealth distribution among farm households in western Kenya: Implications for rural development, poverty alleviation interventions and peace
The study examined livelihoods and wealth distribution among farm households in western Kenya. Stratified random sampling was used to select 252 households from eight districts. Focus group discussions were used to collect complementary community-level data. Results indicate that average household size was seven persons. The cropping system was over 70% mixed. Agriculture was the main source of livelihoods. Labour was...
July 2008
Empirical analysis of agricultural growth and unemployment in Nigeria
Unemployment is a worldwide economic problem. It is a main cause of poverty. Poverty alleviation has been a great concern to developing countries. The economic cost of unemployment on a society necessitates this study. Consequently, this study analyses the Nigerian agricultural growth rate and examines the linkage and dimension of agricultural growth and unemployment rates. Time series data were employed with the aid of...
July 2008
Analysis of extension activities on farmers’ productivity in Southwest, Nigeria
This study was conducted to analyze extension activities on farmers’ productivity in South West Nigeria. The main objective was to investigate influences of extension contact on adoption level, sustained use of technology as well as farmers’ productivity. Structured interview schedules as well as in-depth study devices were used to collect data, which were analyzed using appropriate descriptive and...
July 2008
The design and proposal of a thermodynamic drying system for the dehydration of Rosell (Hibiscus Sabdariffa) and other agro-industrial products
The proposed solar thermodynamic drying system reduces the traditional dehydration process of Rosell used in the western region of Mexico, from approximately 4 days to 4 h. In addition to the 95% reduction in process time, this system also maintains the Jamaica’s nutritional content, especially that of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The proposed drying system is based on current operating conditions in Colima, Mexico...
July 2008
Soil moisture distribution pattern in Amaranthus cruentus field under drip irrigation system
The status, availability and distribution of moisture distribution within a crop’s root zone depths affect the yield and growth of crops. An experiment was carried out to determine the influence of three drip irrigation regimes on pattern of moisture distribution within the soil profile of Amaranthus cruentus field. Irrigations were carried out at 50 KPa (Low stress), 60 KPa (Medium stress) and 70 KPa...
July 2008
An assessment of two plant product efficacy for the control of the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky) in stored maize
Both Chromolaena odorata and Citrus limon are common in tropical areas as an important weed and fruit crop respectively. Dried and pulverized leaves of C. odorata and fruit peels of C. limon were evaluated at the rate of 15, 10 and 5 g per 100g of maize grain variety JZSR. C. odorata proved to be efficacious in the control of the maize weevil...
July 2008
Postpartum interval of Darfurian cows: Influences of breed, BCS, parity and season
The present study was designed to determine the length of postpartum interval (PPI) of some local Sudanese cows in South Darfur State namely Fellata, Kenana and cross bred cows (Kenana × Friesian). Furthermore the influence of body condition score (BCS) and parity on PPI was also investigated. In experiment 1 a total of 59 dairy cows that gave birth were employed to determine the length of PPI. The parity range of...
July 2008
Rubber seed processing for value-added latex production in Nigeria
Little or no attention has been paid to the seeds produced by the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) unknown that it contains valuable oil which has potential industrial application in the production of soap, cosmetics, paints, glazing putty. Not much is known about the method of processing of the seeds from which the oil is derived. In this article, the processing stages for the seeds are presented and discussed....
July 2008
Effect of proportion of component species on the productivity of Solanum aethiopicum and Amaranthus lividus under intercropping
In central Uganda, ‘garden egg’ (Solanum aethiopicum) is commonly intercropped with ‘spleen amaranth’ (Amaranthus lividus) but the productivity of this mixture is unknown. The objective of the experiment was to determine the yield advantage from this mixture. Treatments tested included pure stands of Solanum aethiopicumand Amaranthus lividus, locally called nakati and ebugga,...
July 2008
Adaptation of oilseed mustard under Kenyan conditions
There is great potential for producing oilseed mustard as a cash crop and alternative crop for Kenya since its very early maturing (80 days) and highly adaptable. Oilseed mustard offers promise for semi-arid areas where Canola is not adapted. Its early maturity makes it an ideal break crop. The largest wheat and maize producing districts are experiencing excessive soil acidity, disease and pest problems due to...
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