Effect of Stake Length and NPK Fiertilizer on White Yam (Dioscorea rotundata) Minisett in Umudike, South-East, Nigeria

Staking and soil fertility are critical factors that affect yam production in the humid forest zone of South-East, Nigeria; where high rainfalls and cloud cover are prevalent. Field experiments were conducted at Umudike, South-East, Nigeria in the 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons, to study the effects of stake length and NPK fertilizer on the minisett of white yam cultivar Yandu. The experiment was laid out as a 4× 5 factorial in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Treatments consist of four levels of stake length (0, 1, 2 and 3m) and five levels of NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer (0, 200, 400, 600 and 800kg/ha). Stake of 2 and 3m lengths had significantly longer vine lengths at 3 and 4 months after planting  (MAP) and leaf area index at 3MAP than no staking. Averaged across the two cropping seasons, staking did not affect tuber yield, but the 2 or 3m stakes in 2016 had significant higher tuber yields than the yields obtained in 2017 regardless of stake length. NPK fertilizer application did not significantly influence vine length, leaf area index, and tuber yield, but the application of fertilizer at 200kg/ha increased the number of tubers per plant in 2017. The non-significant effects of staking and NPK fertilizer on tuber yield were ascribed to high rainfall that caused flooding and leaching of nutrients

An Implementation of K-NN Classification Algorithm for Detecting Impersonators in Online Examination Environment

The online examination platforms also known as computer-based testing (CBT) platforms for conducting mass-driven examinations over computer networks to eliminate certain issues such as delay in marking, misplacement of scripts, monitoring, etc., associated with the conventional Pen and Paper Type (PPT) of examination have also been bedeviled with the issue of impersonation commonly associated with the PPT system. The existing online examination platforms rely on passive mechanisms such as the CCTV system and the human invigilators for monitoring the examination halls against cheating and impersonation. The proposed model integrates some level of intelligence into existing online examination prototype by designing and developing an intelligent agent service that could assess students against impersonation threat in an online examination environment using the K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) machine learning classification technique considering the level of accuracy and response time in answering the questions. A total of 3,083 dataset was downloaded from an online repository; 80% (2,466) of the dataset was used for training the model, while 20% (617) dataset was used in testing the model to enable the model detect unseen data correctly. Results showed that the developed model has a 99.99% accuracy rate, precision, recall and f-score

Assessment of Micro Flora, Deoxynivalenol (Don) and Fumonisin Contamination of Grains sold in Local Markets, Nigeria

Fusarium the major deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin producing species of fungi grow as a corn endophyte often without causing disease symptoms in plant. Climate changes resulting in appropriate weather conditions helps in Fusarium growth causing seedling blight, stalk rot and ear rot. Thus most grain contamination of Fusarium comes from the farm. This study was carried out to assess the micro flora and level of DON and fumonisin contamination in Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, Triticum aestivum and Pennisetum americanum sold in Ota. Forty samples comprising ten of each grain type was analyzed, Fumonisin at concentration ≥4.0 mg/kg (ppm) was detected in eight samples of Zea mays and two samples of Triticum aestivum while DON at concentrations ≥1.25mg/kg (ppm) was detected in all the wheat samples using the Rida® Quick Fumonisin and DON test kits. The total aerobic plate count for the samples ranged from 2.0×104 to 8.4×106 cfu/g, fungal count ranged from 1.0×104 to 6.0×106 cfu/g while coliform count ranged from < 10 to 2.0×103 cfu/g. The predominant microbial isolates from the grains included species of Fusarium, Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium, Bacillus, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas. Infection of grains by fungal species and contamination with mycotoxins can generally be influenced by favourable weather conditions. Measures to address climate changes, effective hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) and good storage system are advocated to prevent mould contamination and deleterious mycotoxin production in grains

A social-ecological systems approach is necessary to achieve land degradation neutrality

Viewing humans as drivers of change operating outside the natural environment is unhelpful for defining interventions that effectively manage change and complexity. Indeed, there is now broad agreement that en-vironmental governance needs to consider integrated social-ecological systems (SES) in order to tackle theworld’s grand challenges of land degradation. This requires a more differentiated, innovative approach that considers how changes in SES shape the functioning of land systems as a whole, and the synergies and trade-off these changes may produce. In this study, we identify and discuss some of the ways SES science and practice can inspire progress towards land degradation neutrality (LDN) outcomes in an integrated manner, through synthesis of literature and relevant documents related to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD). We do these by considering: (i) how LDN has been approached to date and the challenges likely to undermine progress towards achieving it; and (ii) an SES-based LDN approach relevant to the neutrality agenda, in particular, by describing how LDN might be thought of differently through an SES lens. We argue that an SES approach focusing on: (i)“people as part of nature”, not“people and nature”; and (ii) the frame of reference against which neutrality can be assessed across temporal and spatial dimensions, is necessary to both inform policy and guide actions of the different groups involved in avoiding and combating land degradation. Such an(integrated) approach adds a dimension (to achieving neutrality goals) not previously explored in sustainable land management and LDN research. Important next steps in operationalising the SES-based LDN approach involve empirical and field case studies, requiring interdisciplinary, mixed method technique

ASSESSMENT OF MICRO FLORA, DEOXYNIVALENOL (DON) AND FUMONISIN CONTAMINATION OF GRAINS SOLD IN LOCAL MARKETS, NIGERIA

Fusarium the major deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin producing species of fungi grow as a corn endophyte often without causing disease symptoms in plant. Climate changes resulting in appropriate weather conditions helps in Fusarium growth causing seedling blight, stalk rot and ear rot. Thus most grain contamination of Fusarium comes from the farm. This study was carried out to assess the micro flora and level of DON and fumonisin contamination in Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, Triticum aestivum and Pennisetum americanum sold in Ota. Forty samples comprising ten of each grain type was analyzed, Fumonisin at concentration ≥4.0 mg/kg (ppm) was detected in eight samples of Zea mays and two samples of Triticum aestivum while DON at concentrations ≥1.25mg/kg (ppm) was detected in all the wheat samples using the Rida® Quick Fumonisin and DON test kits. The total aerobic plate count for the samples ranged from 2.0×104 to 8.4×106 cfu/g, fungal count ranged from 1.0×104 to 6.0×106 cfu/g while coliform count ranged from < 10 to 2.0×103 cfu/g. The predominant microbial isolates from the grains included species of Fusarium, Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium, Bacillus, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas. Infection of grains by fungal species and contamination with mycotoxins can generally be influenced by favourable weather conditions. Measures to address climate changes, effective hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) and good storage system are advocated to prevent mould contamination and deleterious mycotoxin production in grain

The effect of ethanolic extract of premature Musa Paradisiaca (plantain) pulp on the histology of the liver and kidneys of female Wistar rats

Background: Premature plantain is a major component in herbal remedies used for the treatment of different ailment such as reducing blood sugar, and peptic ulcer disease. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of ethanolic extract of premature Musa paradisiaca on histology of the liver and kidneys of female Wistar rats.   Methods: Twenty female Wistar rats weighing between 180-200 g were divided into four groups. Group 1 was administered distilled water only, while groups 2, 3 and 4 were administered the ethanolic extract of premature Musa paradisiaca in low, medium, and high dose respectively for 14 days. Results: Twenty-four hours after the last administration, all animals were sacrificed, tissues were harvested. The histological reports showed varying level of damage to the cytoarchitecture of the liver and kidney tissues of the treatment groups when compared to the control. Conclusions: This plant may likely induce nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic changes

Quantum flux effects on the energy spectra and thermo-magnetic properties in 2D Schrodinger equation with Mobius square potential

A 2D Schrodinger equation with interacting Mobius square potential model is solved using Nikiforov-Uvarov Functional Analysis (NUFA) formalism. The energy spectra and the corresponding wave function for the linearly and exponentially varying quantum magnetic flux are obtained analytically in a closed form. The evaluated energy spectra are used to obtain an expression for the partition functions for the two cases comprises of the linearly and exponentially varying quantum magnetic flux and vis-a-vis is use to evaluate other thermodynamic and magnetic properties for the system. The results are used to study the free energy, mean energy, the entropy, specific heat, magnetization, magnetic susceptibility and the persistent current of the system. The numerical bound state energies are computed.Comment: 39 Pages, 64 figure

The triple challenge: food security and vulnerabilities of fishing and farming households in situations characterized by increasing conflict, climate shock, and environmental degradation

As conflict, climate shocks, and land/water degradation—the “triple challenge”—continue to exert increasing pressure upon fishing and farming livelihoods in many developing countries, a need exists to better understand how differential vulnerabilities undermine or amplify food security outcomes. In this study, we investigate how vulnerability to the “triple challenge” affect food security using an in-depth case study approach that merges social statistics and quantitative data analysis. We frame vulnerability using a combination of sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity, and operationalize food security using the FAO Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), which is an experience-based measure capturing the food access dimension of food security. We draw on survey data from 252 fishing and 251 farming households in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and quantify the different components of vulnerability, deriving specific livelihood-related vulnerability scores. By merging and analyzing differential food security variables and vulnerability scores using ordered logistic models, we find that vulnerability to the “triple challenge” increases the probability of being in a severe food insecure state, particularly for households with a high dependency ratio. Parallel to this finding, we note that access to social capital and opportunities for livelihood diversification could drive gains in income, enhancing the capacity of households to attain a food-secure status in the face of recurrent instabilities. This study advances vulnerability literacy in food-insecure contexts and reveals ways to support populations on the frontline of interacting conflict, climate, and environmental crises

Interactions of trace metals with bacteria and fungi in selected agricultural soils of Egbema Kingdom, Warri North, Delta state, Nigeria

This study was aimed at investigating the relationship of trace metals with prevalence of bacteria and fungi in polluted farmland of Egbema Kingdom, Delta state. This may contribute to the knowledge on the influence of the microorganism to the arability of agricultural soil from an ecotoxicological viewpoint. Soil samples were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters and trace metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Buck Scientific, 210VGP). The samples were also screened for fungi and bacteria isolates. Trace metals (Fe, Zn, Cd, Ni and Cu) determined in the agricultural soils of Egbema kingdom were below WHO limits. The fungi species with the highest number of occurrence was Aspergillus niger, while the species with the lowest occurrence were Fusarium oxsporium, Penicillium dirty white, and Penicillium sp. The order of abundance of fungi across the stations was Station 2> Station 4> Station 3> Station 1> Station 7> Station 5> Station 6> Station 9> Station 8. The bacteria species with the highest number of occurrence was Proteus sp I, while the species with the lowest occurrence was Alcaligenes sp. which occurred only once at Station 5. The order of abundance of bacteria in the soil samples across the stations was Station 4> Station 3> Stations 5 and 9> Station 2> Station 8> Station 7> Station 6. All trace metals in the agricultural soils of Egbema kingdom were below WHO limits. Fe, Zn, Cd and Ni showed no relationship with the microbial contents of the soil. Various strains of fungi and bacteria (gram positive and gram negative) were observed in the soil samples. An antagonistic relationship was observed between bacteria and fungi. Significant positive correlation occurred between the concentration of copper and bacteria counts indicating that the concentration of copper in the soil might have enhanced the abundance of bacteria in the soil, vice versa. The bacteria might be a promising tool in regulation of soil copper concentration