Performance of nine cassava (Manihot esculanta Crantz) clones across three environments

The study was carried out to quantify the genotype × environment interaction (G × E) and to estimate the phenotypic stability by genotype genotype × environment (GGE) biplot of nine cassava clones comprising 5 hybrids, 3 parent checks and 1 improved variety. The study was planted across three different environments; Fumesua, Pokuase and Ejura representing forest, coastal savanna and forest transition zones, respectively. Genotype main effect was significant (P < 0.001) for fresh root yield and dry matter content, G × E interaction effect was significant (P < 0.001) for fresh root yield only and environment main effect was significant (P < 0.01) for only fresh root yield. The most stable clone for fresh root yield with above average performance was La02/026 (hybrid). The high genotype and low environment effects, and the relatively low interaction on dry matter content imply that evaluation and selection can be effectively done in fewer environments to select clones with high performance for the trait whiles fresh root yield requires multiple environments to identify clones with broad and specific adaptation

Genetic variability of three cassava traits across three locations in Ghana

A study was conducted to assess the extent of genetic variability, broad-sense heritability and correlations for fresh root weight, root number and top weight of five cassava genotypes across three locations in 2 years. Combined analysis of variance revealed highly significant genotypic effect for all the traits. Genotype x environment interaction was also significant for all the traits studied indicating considerable but, varying response of the genotypes to the environments. High broad-sense heritability and genetic advance as percent of the mean were observed for fresh root weight, suggesting that the trait is primarily under genetic control and that a simple recurrent phenotypic selection scheme would be rewarding. Phenotypic coefficients of variation values were larger than their corresponding genotypic coefficient of variation values for all traits. Correlations between the three traits were highly significant and positive indicating that simultaneous progress for the three traits is feasible

A Quality Control Scheme for a Commercial Pozzolana Plant: A Case Study of Pozzolana Ghana Ltd

A Quality control scheme was developed for a 200 ton per day commercial pozzolana plant. The scheme was evaluated for the first 34 days of production. Statistical Process Control tech­niques were specifically applied to the mechanical properties of setting times and compressive strength. Results obtained showed that pozzolana samples tested were chemically suitable with total SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 content ≥ 70%. Mechanical tests performed were mostly under control and when out-of-control, they gave valuable indication to plant malfunction or operator errors which were promptly corrected. The results of mechanical properties tested against the three major brands of cement on the Ghanaian market showed that pozzolana gave highest compressive strengths with Dangote CEM I 42.5R ranging between 21.3 MPa - 36.3 MPa at 7 days and 33.8 MPa - 45.1 MPa at 28 days whilst lowest compressive strengths were obtained with Ghacem CEM II B-L 32.5R cement ranging between 16.3 MPa – 23.6 MPa at 7 days and 23.3 MPa – 30.7 MPa at 28 days. Compressive strengths obtained with Diamond CEM II B-L 42.5N cement were average. A mean compressive strength for all brands of ce­ment of 25.2 MPa and 33.6 MPa at 7 days and 28 days respectively were obtained. Keywords: Pozzolana cement, statistical process control, Shewhart chart, compressive strength, setting tim

Environmental performance of chocolate produced in ghana using life cycle assessment

Ghana is an important cocoa producer and exporter and this production is of high economic importance. Increasing interest in the sustainable productions of cocoa/chocolate necessitated the need to assess the environmental impacts associated with the production of different chocolate variants (extra dark (EDC), dark (DC), milk (MC) and flavoured milk (FMC) in Ghana, including the identification of environmental hotspots for improvement. The life cycle assessment tool was used following the CML_IA and CED impact assessment methods. EDC had the lowest scores for most of the impact categories while FMC was most impactful. For Global Warming Potential (GWP), EDC and FMC were estimated to be 1.61 kg CO2 eq. and 4.21 kg CO2 eq., respectively. CED ranged from 1.44 × 102 to 1.50 × 102 MJ-eq. Chocolate manufacturing phase was generally more impactful than cocoa cultivation due to high emissions from milk and sugar production. The impact scores for 100 g packaged chocolate bar were the lowest in comparison to 300 g chocolate pouches and 12.5 g packaged chocolate strips. GWP for 100 g and 12.5 g were 0.20 kg CO2 eq. and 0.39 kg CO2 eq., respectively. Comparing different destination points for the manufactured chocolate, impact scores for the international destination were similar to those recorded for local destinations. Improvement options are suggested for all phases to ensure more sustainable chocolate production and distribu-tion

The Impact of Power Outage “Dumsor” on the Hotel Industry: Evidence from Ghana

Ghana has for several years been experiencing massive power blackouts popularly nicknamed 'Dumsor,' which means on and off in the Akan dialect. The role of electricity in Ghana’s economy is prodigiously significant for growth and development. The purpose of the study was to explore the impact of power outage (‘Dumsor’) on the hotel industry in Ghana. The study adopted an explanatory research design covering a stratified sample of 100 drawn from 5, 4, 3 and 2 stars hotels across major cities in Ghana. A set of structured questionnaires was used to collect data and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The validity/reliability test indicates that the questions were 89% reliable to be used for explanatory analysis of the study and achieved a response rate of 93%. There was a general outcry of unreliable power supply as majority of the respondents indicated the hotels experienced lights out intermittently and unannounced within a week for not less than 12 hours per day which has led to low productivity (86%). Also 92% of the respondents indicated that the effect of ‘dumsor’ has led to high production cost, high rate of redundancy of employees, an increase in maintenance cost, damage to plant/equipments/appliance and perishability of items. The five independent variables accounted for 90% of variations as a result of the power outages and were thus critical to the smooth operations of the hotel industry in Ghana. The study also revealed that an increase in power outages by one unit will increase and worsen the situation (redundancy, perishability of items, and cost of alternative power supply, damage to plant/equipment/appliances and maintenance cost) by 0.401, 0.228, 0.426, 0.218 and 0.316 respectively. To improve on this menace energy crisis, the government and stakeholders should put mechanisms in place to avert this energy canker. Government should have the political will and put incentives in the area of power generation to make it workable. Keywords: Hotel industry, power outage (‘Dumsor’), power supply, explanatory research design and regression coefficients

Identification, characterization and heparin binding capacity of a spore-wall, virulence protein from the shrimp microsporidian, Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP)

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: The microsporidian Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a spore-forming, intracellular parasite that causes an economically debilitating disease (hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis or HPM) in cultured shrimp. HPM is characterized by growth retardation and wide size variation that can result in economic loss for shrimp farmers. Currently, the infection mechanism of EHP in shrimp is poorly understood, especially at the level of host-parasite interaction. In other microsporidia, spore wall proteins have been reported to be involved in host cell recognition. For the host, heparin, a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) molecule found on cell surfaces, has been shown to be recognized by many parasites such as Plasmodium spp. and Leishmania spp. RESULTS: We identified and characterized the first spore wall protein of EHP (EhSWP1). EhSWP1 contains three heparin binding motifs (HBMs) at its N-terminus and a Bin-amphiphysin-Rvs-2 (BAR2) domain at its C-terminus. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that EhSWP1 is similar to an uncharacterized spore wall protein from Enterospora canceri. In a cohabitation bioassay using EHP-infected shrimp with naïve shrimp, the expression of EhSWP1 was detected by RT-PCR in the naïve test shrimp at 20 days after the start of cohabitation. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed that EhSWP1 was localized in the walls of purified, mature spores. Subcellular localization by an immunoelectron assay revealed that EhSWP1 was distributed in both the endospore and exospore layers. An in vitro binding assay, a competition assay and mutagenesis studies revealed that EhSWP1 is a bona fide heparin binding protein. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, we hypothesize that EhSWP1 is an important host-parasite interaction protein involved in tethering spores to host-cell-surface heparin during the process of infection.This project was supported by the Agricultural Research Development Agency (ARDA) of Thailand under project CRP5905020530, by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) under project IRG5980008 and TRG5780032, by the Newton Institutional Links (IL) program to BIOTEC, Thailand and Cefas, UK, and by Mahidol University. PJ would like to thank the Science Achievement Scholarship of Thailand (SAST) for a PhD scholarshi