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Volume 2 Number 1 January 2016

Soil?Based Media for Seedling Emergence and Growth of African Oil Bean (Pentaclethra Macrophylla Benth) Seed at Owerri, Imo State


Authors: Onwubiko, N.C. ; Osobie, L.C. ; Ibeawuchi, I.I. ; Nwokoji, E.M. ; Utazi, C.O. ; C.P. Poly-Mbah
Pages: 9-13
Abstract
An experiment using three different soil-based media on seedling emergence and growth of African oil bean seed (Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth) was carried out at the screen house of School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri to determine the best soil-based media for mass production of oil bean seedlings. The top soil served as the control while the other three soil-based media; top soil+cow dung (TS+CD), top soil+rice hull (TS+RH), and top soil+saw dust (TS+SD) were prepared in 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 volume by volume (v/v). The treatments were laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and replicated six times, giving a total of 72 observation units. Data were collected on days to emergence, plant height, number of root hairs and root length at 50 days after planting (DAP).The combination of top soil+saw dust at 1:3 v/v performed better than the other media combination in all the parameters studied; had least mean value of approximately 18 days to emergence, highest mean value of 23.50cm for plant height, and highest mean value of 119.30 and 26.60cm for number of root hairs and root length at 50 DAP.

Assessment of Uganda?s Farmers? Perception and Knowledge on Maize Cob Rots towards Breeding for Resistance


Authors: Tembo, L. ; Asea, G. ; Gibson, P.T. ; Okori, P.
Pages: 1-8
Abstract
Stenocarpella maydis and Fusarium graminearum maize cob rots are two most devastating cob rots in maize which causes yield losses and reduce grain quality as a result of mycotoxins which is produced from this fungus. Developing varieties resistant to cob rots is a practical and economic strategy that provides cheaper protection against yield loss and poor grain quality. There is still low adoption of improved varieties partly because of limited incorporation of farmer preferred standards. Therefore farmers’ preferences and perceptions should be captured early in a breeding program to enhance the adoption of released varieties. A focus group discussion (FGD) participatory approach was used in four districts of Uganda to assess farmers’ perceptions on maize cob rots and to investigate the possibilities of breeding for farmer-preferred cob rot resistant varieties. Semi- structured questionnaires were administered to selected seed merchants to consolidate and verify farmers’ reporting on seed varieties. Results ofinvestigationsuggested that absolute cob rot resistance was associated with undesirable traits such as small seededness, late maturing and low yields. Yield and earliness were the most preferred farmer agronomic traits, with a farmer-preference mean derived score of 4.5 and 3.75 respectively from the total of 5. In this regard, selection for farmer-preferred cob rot resistance varieties should strike a balance between yield and or earliness with cob rot resistance.