Urban Gardening and Open Crown Trees: Insiduous Lethal Implications on Human and Animal Health

Urban agriculture is gradually gaining acceptability in most parts of the world. The act of urban gardening is food and vegetable production in urban setting. The environmental and social positive effects of open crown trees as well as vegetables of various varieties to urban dwellers cannot be trivialized. This is more importantly so considering the current threat of climate change to man and animals through microclimatic element reverses. The use to which these agricultural products so produced in urban areas are put is diverse. From their use as vegetables to their use as herbal products as well as to their use as chewing sticks. Urban arable crops are generally consumed whole while parts of open crown trees serve as chewing sticks and medicinal concoctions. Combined, vegetables and open crown trees regulate the amount of sunlight intensity that reaches man and animals residing in urban areas thereby regulating heat energy.In urbanization however, serious inherent danger is unconsciously being exposed to. Lethal bye –products are emitted through the use of both degradable and non-degradable materials. Since the ecosystem is a complex self-sustaining system, much of the lethal bye-products eventually find their ways back into living tissues via urban plants which are finally consumed by man and animals. In heavy traffic roads which are highly correlated with urban areas, the concentration of lead (Pb) for example which is a heavy metal and very lethal to man and animals ranges between 0.18 mg/kg and 0.38 mg/kg while the concentration of leaf acidity in polluted Azadirachta indica compared to unpolluted plant stands at a ratio of 1:10. Similarly, heavy metal concentration in soil and the population of microorganisms are generally inversely related. Whereas some microorganisms are needed for the crops well-being and for seed production, the alteration of environmental stability by heavy metals are rife.Conclusively, there is more work to be done in environmental microclimatic cleansing if urban gardening and open crown trees will serve the plus purpose for which they are preferred

Influence of Biofertilizer-Fortified Organic and Inorganic Nitrogenous Fertilizers on Performance of Sesame (Sesamum indicum Linn.) and Soil Properties Under Savanna Ecoregion

Application of chemical fertilizers as supplement to the pre-existing soil nutrients has become inevitable for obtaining optimum crop performance in the tropics. However, persistent application of inorganic fertilizers affects soil physicochemical conditions and reduces crop productivity. Integration of mycorrhizal inoculum as biofertilizer and organic manure with little inorganic fertilizer input could improve crop performance and soil quality. However, there is little information on response of crops particularly Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) to such integrated nutrient management approach. Two greenhouse experiments were carried out at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Nigeria and Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R&T), Moor plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria to assess response of sesame to integrated nutrient management approach. Twelve factorial combinations each of integrated green tithonia biomass and urea, with and without Glomus clarum mycorrhizal inoculum were investigated. Trials were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Data were collected on growth and yield parameters and analysed using ANOVA at p < 0.05. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly enhanced sesame growth (except number of branches) and yield with or without applied N-source(s), compared to their non-inoculated counterparts. Sesame responded best to inoculation of 75% tithonia + 25 % Urea + Glomus clarum which significantly enhanced plant height, stem circumference, number of leaves, biomass yield and seed yield. Soil physical and chemical properties significantly improved with increasing application of green Tithonia-biomass. At above 50 % of urea integration, values of growth and yield parameters were statistically similar but significantly higher than the control. Thus, green Tithonia-biomass integration at 75 % level with urea at 25 % level to meet up N-requirement of sesame + mycorrhizal inoculum is suitable for optimum growth and yield of sesame and improved soil quality under savanna ecoregion

Financing Housing Services Delivery and Its Challenges in Nigeria

Financing of housing delivery by government is a pivot to sustaining development. Housing by nature has become an economic tool fostering Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of developed countries like Britain and United States of America. In Nigeria, housing finance suffered shortage of funds; corruption, low number of committed financial institutions, and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has not made it easy for other institutions to access funds. This paper examined the role of government in financing housing and the challenges associated with it. It discovered that the finance system used by government has not been effective, and there is politicisation of governmental activities. The paper concluded by recommending ways of addressing the challenges encountered in the process such as creating enabling environment for investors, provision of necessary funds for housing and promoting housing business to mention a few. Keywords: Housing Finance, Government, Finance, National Housing Policy, Housing Finance Syste

Changes in FDNB-Available Lysine in Sprouted Cowpea

Cowpea a member of the legume family was sprouted to be able to improve its nutritive value especially the amino acids. Lysine, however, is highly venerable to process loss. One of the ways to determine the availability of the essential amino acids is to determine the available lysine. This study was geared not only in measuring the available amino acids, by determining the available lysine using the FDNB (Fluoro-di-nitro-benzene) extraction method, but to improve on the availability of these amino acids through germination. This method is also capable of removing the drudgery of animal study and faster to achieve the desired results

Sensory Evaluation and Feasibility Report of Plantain Sandwich for Nigerian Market

Protein-energy malnutrition is a common nutritional disorder in developing countries and constitutes a major public health problem in young children and elderly people. This project is aimed at evaluating the acceptability of plantain-peanut sandwich and roasted at different temperatures. A plantain-peanut sandwich consists of minced protein stuffed into a carbohydrate source made into a roll as a food product. The plantain was roasted at two different temperatures than later enriched with 5%, 10% and 15% peanut butter. The crude protein and crude fibre contents of the plantain samples roasted at 200oC and 240oC showed no significant difference (P˃0.05) while the ash, fat and carbohydrate contents showed that there was a significant difference (P˂0.05). The results of the proximate composition showed that there was a significant difference (P˂0.05) at the two different roasting temperatures of 200oC and 240oC when enriched at 5%, 10% and 15% levels with peanut butter. This pattern of significant increase was also observed with the amino acid profiles at the two different roasting temperature levels. The sensory evaluation record shows that the mean scores for the appearance, taste, colour, aroma, mouthfeel and overall acceptability of the enriched roasted samples varied, but the plantain roasted at 240oC enriched with 15% peanut butter had the highest acceptability level. A feasibility study was carried out to investigate the possibility of producing and marketing a plantain-peanut sandwich. The study revealed that a starting point of 60 packs at 4 fingers per pack sold at 600 Naira per day gave an estimated turnover of 9 million Naira per annum. A breakeven point analysis revealed that a price break even point of 19.14% is feasible while a product breakeven of 18.04% of the estimated annual sales of 15,000 packs is also feasible

The Effect of Sprouting on the in Vitro Digestibility of Maize and Cowpea

Despite the high protein content of cowpeas, their maximum contribution to nutrition has not been fully exploited in many parts of the world because of the following problems: the presence of anti-nutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitor, which are common with legumes; flatulence factors; low level of sulphur amino acids, particularly methionine; and, in many instances, the inconvenience involved in their long preparation into local dishes. Moreover, there is the problem of the beany off-flavour. Grinding treatments that break most of the cells and release the cell contents of raw legumes prevent the subsequent development of the characteristic beany flavor on cooking. An off-flavour develops when ground raw legumes are suspended in water probably because of mixing of the cell contents enzyme lipoxygenase and could be controlled by adjusting the pH of the slurry towards the acid side. Germination is widely claimed as a means of correcting nutrient deficiencies of particular seeds, especially through alterations in the amino acid balance of the proteins and enhancement of the content of vitamins. This wide belief is emphasized and investigated in this research. In maize, however, the various food enzymes exited during germination had already played vital roles in breaking down the higher molecular components to simple molecules especially protein, which eases the digestibility as depicted in this investigation

Effect of Processing on Total Amino Acid Profile of Maize and Cowpea Grains

During the processing of cereal grains, a substantial proportion of the nutrients are lost, most especially the proteins in the form of the smallest moiety called amino acids. The objective of this study is to investigate the proportional loss due to processing, in order to throw more light in external fortification of the processed grains as may be necessary for the future. This investigation carried out the amino acid profile of drum dried; freeze dried and spray dried products of processed maize and cowpea grains in order to establish the after effects of these processing methods on the amino acid profile of the residual products. The processed methods investigated have been reported to be ideal for the preservation of processed grains in the powdered forms and amino acids availability in the products will determine the final protein nutritional value of the processed food products

The Effect of Weather Factors on the Population Density of Oxycarenus spp. (Hemiptera: Lygaidae) on Roselle and Kenaf

Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa and Kenaf, Hibiscus cannabinus are two important fibre crops in most parts of Africa. Insect pests are one of the major constraints in the production of these crops. The cotton seed bug Oxycarenus spp. attacks Roselle and Kenaf during the seed formation stage and cause reduction in seed viability. This study examined the effect of weather factors namely, relative humidity, temperature, sunshine and soil evaporation on the population density of Oxycarenus spp. on Roselle and Kenaf during the planting seasons 2012 and 2013. The treatments consisted of two types of Roselle (Green-calyxed and Redcalyxed) and Kenaf. The experiment was laid out in the field using Randomized Complete Block Design and the treatments were replicated four times. The results showed that the population of Oxycarenus spp. was significantly (p<0.05) higher on green-calyxed H. sabdariffa and red-calyxed H. sabdariffa than on Kenaf in 2012 and 2013. The differences in the density of the bug per fruit on green-calyxed H. sabdariffa and redcalyxed H. sabdariffa were significant in the two planting seasons. Relative humidity in the morning and maximum temperature correlated positively and negatively, respectively with the density of Oxycarenus spp. during the two planting seasons. Sunshine hours per day correlated positively, while soil temperature and soil evaporation had a negative correlation with the bug density. This information on the seasonal variation in the bug density and its relationship with weather factors could be used in pest forecasting for these fibre crops which is an important tool in formulating a successful pest management programme.Keywords: Malvaceae, Fibre crops, weather factors, Oxycarenus spp., pest management, planting seasons, pest density

Genetic analysis of mode of inheritance of seed yield and its components in tropical soybean genotypes

The decision related to efficient breeding methods depends largely on the understanding of the type of gene action controlling the expression of the characters to be selected. The objective of this study was to estimate the gene action controlling yield and components in soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill). The study involved six basic soybean generations (P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2) of two crosses, i.e. cross I (TGx1987-62F × TGx1830-20E) and cross II (TGx1987-10F × TGx1740-2F), at the Research farm of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan. Data were subjected to generation mean analysis to determine gene actions and interactions, using Hayman model. The results obtained from the individual scaling test A, B, C indicated that the simple additive-dominance model was inadequate to reveal the inheritance of the gene governing most traits. Non-allelic gene interaction was crucial in the inheritance of most studied traits. The Hayman six-parameter genetic model demonstrated that the signs of [h] and [l] were contrasting for most of the traits; suggesting duplicate epistasis. In fact, the effect of dominance was important and significant in the genetic control of most of the traits studied. Therefore, improvement of soybean seed yield and its related characters need intensive selection and should be delayed until later generations. &nbsp

INFLUENCE OF CATALYST QUANTITY AND REACTION TIME ON IN-SITU PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL FROM RAW CASTOR BEAN SEED USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

Trans-esterification is the most commonly used methods of biodiesel production. In-situ trans-esterification process uses oil (triglycerides) in seeds directly without the need for initial extraction. The in-situ production of biodiesel from raw castor bean seed with a batch processor was studied at initial catalyst quantity of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.5%, reaction time of 30, 60 and 90 min with a reaction temperature of 600C and alcohol seed ratio of 1:1 using the response surface methodology.  Initial catalyst concentration and reaction time were subjected to central composite experimental design of the response surface methodology.  Initial catalyst quantity and reaction time were found to have significant (P<0.05) effects on the yield of castor biodiesel produced, with increased catalyst quantity giving a negative effect on the yield after an initial amount of between 1.0 and 1.2%.  The reaction time had a positive effect on the yield until after 90 minutes after which biodiesel yield reduced with increased time. The CA-Time interactions influence was small and negative, due to the superior effect of initial catalyst quantity by the formation of by-products (soaps) leading to difficult ester separation from glycerol. A second-order model was obtained to predict the yield as a function of all factors. The model predicted well the observed data with a R2 value of 0.983. The biodiesel produced had properties comparable to the standards of ASTM while the specific gravity was higher than the specified standards