African Journals OnLine
Agro-Science: Journal of Tropical Agriculture, Food, Environment and Extension

Volume 1, Number 2, June 2000

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND FOOD SECURITY: THE ROLE OF THE NIGERIAN AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE SCHEME

U. A. U. Onyebinama

Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike

ABSTRACT

The focus of this paper is on the potential role of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) in protecting the farmer from the plethora of risks associated with the transfer and introduction of modern technologies. The scheme can improve farmers' access to credit when the insurance contract is used as collateral for loans. Farmers can therefore obtain the necessary capital to purchase new technologies. It can also provide the farmer some form of guarantee against the risk of failure resulting from the adoption and use of new technologies. Therefore, to the extent that technology adoption is constrained by risk and uncertainty and lack of access to credit, the insurance scheme can reduce or eliminate these constraints and induce farmers to use improved technologies.

Yam Storability and Economic Benefits of Storage Under the Modern (underground) and Traditional (Yam barn) Technologies in southeastern Nigeria

E. C. Okorji and G. O. I. Ezeike

Department of Agricultural Engineering
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

ABSTRACT

This paper examines yam storability and the economic benefits of storage under the modern (underground) and the traditional (yam barn) storage technologies in Southeastern Nigeria. Data were collected mainly from 55 respondents who were interviewed, as well as from measurement of storage parameters on yam tubers stored in 55 traditional yam barns and 11 modern underground yam storage structures.

The results show that on the average about 55 percent of the tubers stored under the modern technology and less than 20 percent of the tubers stored under the traditional system remained in a fairly good condition after the fifth month of storage; and the value of storage loss was about N46,231 for the traditional yam barn and N23,951 for the modern storage system per 1000kg of tubers stored under both systems. Hence the value of storage losses under the traditional system was about 55 percent higher than that under the modern system.

On the average about 400kg yams valued at N22,280 was saved from 1000kg of yams stored under the modern storage technology for a period of five months. The net benefits would be significantly higher if the full potentials of the modern storage technology are exploited especially in terms of prolong storage which attracts higher revenue from stored tubers.

Key words: Yam; storability; modern; ttraditional; technology.

EFFECTS OF TRONA TREATMENT ON THE FEEDING VALUE OF JACKBEAN (Canavalia - ensiformis) FOR BROILER BIRDS

B. O. Esonu, A. B. I. Udedibie, O. T. Oguntuase and U. K. Nduaka

Department of Animal Science and Technology
Federal University of Technology
Owerri

ABSTRACT

35 - day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of trona on the nutritive value of jackbean. One batch of jackbean was soaked for 48 hours in trona solution (3% of the weight of jackbean) prior to cooking for 30 minutes, dried and ground into meal. The second batch was cooked directly in the presence of trona (3% of the weight of jackbean) for 30 minutes, then dried and ground into meal. Jackbean meals so prepared were then used to formulate broiler finisher diets at 0%, 20%, 25%, and 30% levels respectively (Table 3). Two hundred and eighty (280), 21-day old broiler chicks were divided into 7 groups and each group randomly assigned to the 7 treatment diets in a completely randomised design (CDR). Each group was further sub-divided into four replicates. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. The results of this trial suggest that jackbean meals so prepared significantly (P < 0.05) depressed performance of broiler finishers at all levels tested. When compared with the control, mortality was similar in all cases.

Key words: Trona treatment, Jackbean feeding value, Broiler birds

Physical and Frictional Properties of Sheanut

N. A. Aviara¹, M. A.Haque² and I. A. Izge

¹Department of Agricultural Engineering
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
e-mail: [email protected] 

²Department of Agricultural Engineering
University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
e-mail: [email protected] 

ABSTRACT

Physical and frictional properties of sheanut (Butyrospernum paradoxum) and kernel were determined to explore the possibility of developing their handling and processing equipment. At a moisture content of 3.84% (db), measurements yielded an average major diameter of 36.63mm, intermediate diameter of 29.30mm and minor diameter of 27.93mm for the nut. Corresponding values for the kernel were 29.62mm, 20.30mm, and 18.20mm. The kernel and shell constituted about 60.16 and 39.84% of the nut by mass. The roundness and sphericity of nut ranged from 68 to 81%, and 78 to 88%, while corresponding values for kernel were between 59 and 69% and 68 and 75% respectively. The volume, particle density, bulk density, porosity and angle of repose of the nut were 18200mm3, 616.13 kg/m3, 282.52 kg/m3, 54% and 23.320 respectively. The static and kinetic coefficients of friction on different structural surfaces (galvanized steel sheet, glass, hessian bag material and plywood) ranged from 0.173 to 0.445 and 0.157 to 0.412 respectively. For the kernel, the particle density and porosity decreased from 1137 to 1088.53 kg/m3, and 57.56 to 45.28% respectively, as the moisture content increased from 3.32 to 20.70% (db). The volume, bulk density, angle of repose and static and kinetic coefficients of friction on the same structural surfaces, increased from 5833.33 to 6576.67mm3, 482.51 to 595.60kg/m3, 30.20 to 360, and 0.217 to 0.857 and 0.203 to 0.729, respectively in the above moisture range. The axial dimensions of the kernel also increased with moisture content. The study reveals that a mechanical cracker with pneumatic separator for the kernel and shell could be developed for the sheanut.

Keywords: Sheanut, Butyrospernum paradoxum, Physical properties, Frictional properties

Factors Constraining Farmers Use of Improved Cowpea Technologies in Bauchi and Gombe States of Nigeria

A. E. Agwu and A. C. Anyanwu

Department of Agricultural Extension
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

ABSTRACT

This paper investigated major factors constraining the use of improved cowpea technologies among farmers in Bauchi and Gombe states of Nigeria. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data from a randomly selected sample of 130 farmers. Data were factor analyzed using the principal factor model with iteration and varimax rotation. The results show that land and labour problems, marketing problems, poor technical information, cultural incompatibility, high cost of farm inputs and unavailability of necessary inputs were the major factors constraining the use of improved cowpea technologies in the area. These findings suggest that there is an urgent need for researchers, policy makers and administrators of extension service to consider these factors seriously, if increased cowpea production is to be achieved by farmers in the area.

Keywords: Cowpea, technologies, Bauchi, Gombe

EFFECT OF COWPEA SEED DRYING TEMPERATURE AND WET MILLING ON THE RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF MOIN-MOIN PASTE AND GEL

N. J. Enwere¹ and Y-C. Hung²

¹Department of Food Science and Technology
University of Nigeria, Nsukka

²Department of Food Science and Technology
College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
Georgia Experimental Station, Griffin
The University of Georgia
Georgia 30223-1797 USA.

ABSTRACT

The effects of cowpea seed drying temperature and wet-milling on the viscosity of moin-moin paste and texture (rheology) of moin-moin gel were studied. The large brown eye Kano white cowpea seeds were soaked in water at 250C for 5 min, drained and dried at temperatures between 30 and 120oC, decorticated and dry milled into flour. Decorticated cowpea seeds dried at 30oC were soaked in cold water at 250C for 1.5hr and wet milled into paste. The cowpea flours and paste were reconstituted with water and prepared into moin-moin with and without addition of salt, pepper, tomato paste, onions, vegetable oil and beef flavour. Determination of the moin-moin paste viscosity prior to steaming showed that all the pastes exhibited pseudoplastic flow behaviour. The moin-moin from the wet milled paste had higher viscosity than the samples from flours due to higher swelling of the starch, protein and cell wall materials. The moin-moin pastes containing additional ingredients had higher viscosity than the plain samples due to the additional solid matter. Drying at temperatures between 80 and 120oC increased the viscosity of the plain moin-moin paste but decreased those of samples with added ingredients. Texture studies showed that drying temperature, wet milling and addition of ingredients decreased the hardness of the moin-moin gel at 50% double compression and relaxation.

Key words: Cowpea, moin-moin, viscosity, and texture

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE SOMATIC CHROMOSOME NUMBER, GROWTH, YIELD AND DISEASE INCIDENCE OF CULTIVATED TOMATOES AND THEIR WILD RELATIVE

M. I. Uguru and A. I. Atugwu

Department of Crop Science
University of Nigeria, Nsukka

ABSTRACT

Two Lycopersicon species consisting of one local and two exotic varieties of L. esculentum Mill and one wild variety of L. pimpinellifolium Jusl, were evaluated for chromosome number, growth, flowering and fruiting pattern, yield and susceptibility to tomato disease complex in the rainy seasons (May - September) of 1998 and 1999. The somatic chromosome studies showed that both species have chromosome number of 24. The wild variety showed high tolerance to the disease complex associated with high humidity; had the least incidence of flower and premature fruit drop and highest fruit set as measurable indices of adaptation to high humidity conditions. The two exotic varieties and the local variety on the other hand were severely diseased and correspondingly had poorer fruit set. The high fruiting of the wild variety did not however, translate to higher fruit yield on weight basis because of its small-sized fruits.

The indicators of adaptation of the wild tomato to high humidity conditions afford a potential resource for desirable characteristics especially disease resistance. Therefore its hybridization with the cultivated tomato varieties that are susceptible to stresses associated with high humidity and selection from among the segregating generations may provide opportunities for generating adapted tomato lines for the humid tropics.

Key words: Chromosome number, wild tomato, disease, Lycopersicon esculentum.

CLONAL EVALUATION OF YAM TUBERS RAISED FROM YAM TRUE SEED

E. C. Nwachukwu¹ and I. U. Obi²

¹National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, P.M.B. 7006,
Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.

²Department of Crop Science,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Clonal evaluation of second generation yam (Dioscorea rotundata) plants raised from gamma ray treated and untreated yam true seeds, showed that, at the MV1 generation, increasing doses of gamma rays decreased plant heights, number of leaves, and tuber yield. At the MV2 generation however, these disappeared. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationship (p= 0.01) between first generation tuber sett weight and second generation tuber yield (r = 0.46), first generation tuber shape and second generation tuber shape (r = 0.27) and tuber yield and leaf spot disease infestation (r = 0.14), with n - 2 degrees of freedom of 718.

Agronomic traits that could be selected, at the first generation stage, are tuber shape and disease resistance but not tuber yield.

EFFECT OF THE TIME OF INTRODUCTION OF COMPONENT CROPS AND OF FERTILIZER-N APPLICATION ON MAIZE AND VEGETABLE COWPEA GROWN IN MIXTURES UNDER THE HUMID TROPICAL CONDITIONS

D. A. Okpara

College of Crop and Soil Sciences
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike

ABSTRACT

Field experiments were carried out during 1998 and 1999 cropping seasons at Umudike, south eastern Nigeria, to evaluate the yield performance of maize intercropped with vegetable cowpea under different planting schedules. Treatments comprised vegetable cowpea planted 4 weeks before, same day as, 4 and 8 weeks after maize and nitrogen levels of 0, 50 and 100kgN/ha.

The results showed that plant height, leaf area index, dry matter and pod yields in vegetable cowpea as well as seed yield in maize decreased significantly following delay in the introduction of either crop in mixture. Usually the component crop that was planted earlier in the mixture gave a stiffer competition against the component that was planted later as demonstrated by growth and yield values. Cases of applied N increased growth and yields in the intercrops. On the average, planting vegetable cowpea at 4 weeks before, same day as, 4 and 8 weeks after maize gave yield advantages of 98, 93, 64 and 97% respectively, over sole cropping. The yield advantages due to intercropping at 0, 50 and 100kgN/ha were 131, 81 and 74% respectively. Planting the mixture the same day produced more satisfactory yields of the intercrops than other planting schedules while fertilizer use was optimized by applying 50kg N/ha.

Key words: Maize, Vegetable cowpea, Mixture, Time of introduction, Fertilizer N, Land equivalent ratio.

EFFECT OF ORGANIC MANURE APPLICATION ON YIELD DISTRIBUTION OVER TIME AND IN TRUSS POSITION ON THE MAIN STEM IN EGGPLANTS

J. E. Asiegbu and Carol N. Opara

Department of Crop Science,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

ABSTRACT

Temporal distribution of yield over harvests and yield in various truss positions on the main stem in three West African eggplants were studied in the field under five poultry manure rates.

Fruit yields were spread over 12-15 weeks, unless where the life of the crop was cut short due to insect pest or disease attack. Two peaks, the first major and a second minor one, were evident in the temporal fruit yield distribution, apparently arising from inherent flowering and fruiting periodicities of the eggplants and influenced by weather factors, especially rainfall. Multiple harvests were necessary as fruits were always at different stages of development, reaching maturity at different times. On the basis of time to first harvest, Marvelum was classified as early maturing, Roundgreen intermediate and Sweet Samaru late maturing.

Flower abortion was generally high and increased with higher truss positions. Fruit set was higher with the lower trusses and decreased with higher truss positions. Although manuring benefited yields generally, it did not help much in enhancing assimilate distribution among truss positions or in stabilizing fruit yield values during different harvest periods.