Impact of natural weed infestation on the performance of selected sugarcane varieties in the Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of some  sugarcane varieties against natural weed infestation. The trials were laid out in a randomized complete block design with split-plot arrangement andthree replications. The sugarcane varieties were the main plots while the sub-plots consisted of weeding regimes. Recommended cultural and agronomic practices were followed to raise the crops. Data were collected on weed density, weed biomass, sugarcane tiller count and cane yield. Our results revealed that Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) W.D.Clayton, Panicum maximum Jacq, Imperata cylindrica L., Panicum repens L., Cynodon dactylon L. and Cyperus rotundus L. were the major weed problems of sugarcane in Ilorin. The monthly hoe weeded treatment had significantly higher tiller count which translated to higher cane yield (22.61 to 72.54 t/ha) than other weed control treatments. The reduction in cane yield was between 80.51 and 97.55% depending on duration of weed infestation. Association of weed parameters with cane yield was negative and significant showed that a decrease in weed infestations will result in simultaneous increase in sugarcane yield. Therefore, in selecting  sugarcane variety(s) for breeding programmes, emphasis should be placed on sugarcane growth parameters that negatively and significantly correlated with weed infestation. Key Words: Weeds, sugarcane, plant crop, ratoon, cane yield, tiller coun

Characterization of cucumber mosaic virus isolated from yam (Dioscorea spp.) in West Africa

Millions of people in the West African sub-region depend on yam for food and income. In 2008, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), one of the most economically important plant viruses was detected in yam fields in Ghana, Benin and Togo, three of the five topmost yam producing countries in the world. Some strains of CMV are reportedly more virulent than others thus the need to characterise the strain isolated from yam. Sap inoculation of the yam strain induced systemic mosaic on Cucumis sativus and systemic chlorosis, necrotic lesions and leaf distortion on Nicotiana glutinosa. Sequence analysis of the 3' end of the coat protein gene and C-terminal noncoding region revealed 98 to 99, 93 to 98 and 78 to 79% nucleotide homology with members of the subgroups IA, IB and II, respectively. This analysis further revealed the absence of the EcoR1 restriction site characteristic of subgroup II strains and the presence of 15 nucleotide deletions dispersed along the C-terminal noncoding region of subgroup IA strains. At the amino acid level, the virus had 99 to 100% homology with subgroup I strains and 89% homology with subgroup II strains. Phylogenetic analysis of the amino acid confirms that the yam strain of CMV belongs to subgroup I while nucleotide sequence phylogeny confirms its placement in subgroup IA.Keywords: Yam viruses, cucumber mosaic virus, sequence analysisAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(22), pp. 3472-348

CD4 cells profile of HAART naive HIV seropositive clients in Kogi State University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba, Kogi State. Nigeria

CD4 lymphocyte cells are the primary targets of Human immune-deficiency virus (HIV). Enumeration of CD4 T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood is used in the assessment of disease clinical stage, risk of  opportunistic infections, evaluation of prognosis and guide decision on the commencement of  antiretroviral therapy. The objective was to determine CD4 cells profile of HIV sero-positive naïve  patients in Kogi State University Teaching Hospital( KSUTH) Anyigba. A total of 404 HIV sero-positive Highly Active Anti Retro Viral Treatment ( HAART) naïve patients comprising 147(36.4%) males and  257 (63.6%) females were examined. Approval was obtained from ethical committee of Kogi State University Teaching Hospital (KSUTH), Anyigba. Written and verbal informed consent was taken from all patients. The overall mean age of patients was 33.0 ± 12.7 years and female-male ratio was  1.7:1. Majority of patients were in the clinical stage two 121(30.5%) and three 200(50.4%). Patients had overall mean CD4 cells count of 381.8 ± 240.8 cells /mm3. Patients CD4 cells count varied statistically with the HIV clinical staging (F =4.512 & P value=0.004) and statistically insignificant with gender (P value = 0.7562 & t Test= 0.3106) and tuberculosis status (P value=0.223 & F=  1.505).Conclusion: This study showed HIV sero-positive HAART naive patients presented in KSUTH with mean age of 33 years. Majority of patients presented in disease clinical stage two and three with a mean CD4 cells counts of 381.8 cells/mm3 . This study recommend the need to reduce stigmatization, discrimination and promote early access to treatment , care and support services.Keywords: HIV/AIDS, CD4, Patient/clients, KSUTH, Nigeria

Desmodium mottle virus, the first legumovirus (genus Begomovirus) from East Africa

A novel bipartite legumovirus (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae), that naturally infects the wild leguminous plant Desmodium sp. in Uganda, was molecularly characterized and named Desmodium mottle virus. The highest nucleotide identities for DNA-A, obtained from two field-collected samples, were 79.9% and 80.1% with the legumovirus, soybean mild mottle virus. DNA-B had the highest nucleotide identities (65.4% and 66.4%) with a typical non-legumovirus Old World begomovirus, African cassava mosaic virus. This is the first report of a legumovirus in East Africa and extends the known diversity of begomoviruses found infecting wild plants in this continent

Globular cluster systems and galaxy formation

Globular clusters are compact, gravitationally bound systems of up to a million stars. The GCs in the Milky Way contain some of the oldest stars known, and provide important clues to the early formation and continuing evolution of our Galaxy. More generally, GCs are associated with galaxies of all types and masses, from low-mass dwarf galaxies to the most massive early-type galaxies which lie in the centres of massive galaxy clusters. GC systems show several properties which connect tightly with properties of their host galaxies. For example, the total mass of GCs in a system scales linearly with the dark matter halo mass of its host galaxy. Numerical simulations are at the point of being able to resolve globular cluster formation within a cosmological framework. Therefore, GCs link a range of scales, from the physics of star formation in turbulent gas clouds, to the large-scale properties of galaxies and their dark matter. In this Chapter we review some of the basic observational approaches for GC systems, some of their key observational properties, and describe how GCs provide important clues to the formation of their parent galaxies.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in the book "Reviews in Frontiers of Modern Astrophysics: From Space Debris to Cosmology" (eds Kabath, Jones and Skarka; publisher Springer Nature) funded by the European Union Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership grant "Per Aspera Ad Astra Simul" 2017-1-CZ01-KA203-03556

Dietary energy level for optimum productivity and carcass characteristics of indigenous Venda chickens raised in closed confinement

A study was conducted to determine dietary energy levels for optimum productivity and carcass characteristics of indigenous Venda chickens raised in closed confinement. Four dietary treatments were considered in the first phase (1 to 7 weeks) on two hundred day-old unsexed indigenous Venda chicks indicated as EVS1, EVS2, EVS3 and EVS4 (11, 12, 13 and 14 MJ ME/kg DM, respectively) and each treatment was replicated five times. In the second phase (8 - 13 weeks), 160 indigenous Venda female chickens, aged eight weeks, were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments and each treatment was replicated five times in a completely randomized design. The diets used in both trials were isonitrogenous but with different energy levels. A quadratic equation was used to determine dietary energy levels for optimum feed intake, growth rate, FCR and ME intake at both the starter and grower phases and the carcass characteristics of the birds at 91 days. Dietary energy levels of 12.91, 12.42, 12.34 and 12.62 MJ ME/kg DM feed supported optimum feed intake, growth rate, FCR and ME intake, respectively, for the starter phase. At the grower phase, dietary energy levels of 12.56, 12.66, 12.62 and 12.71 MJ ME/kg DM feed supported optimum feed intake, growth rate, FCR and ME intake, respectively. Carcass, drumstick, thigh and wing had optimum weights at dietary energy levels of 13.81, 13.23, 13.43 and 13.18 MJ ME/ kg DM, respectively. Thus, dietary energy level for optimization depended on the particular production parameter in question.Keywords: Metabolisable energy, optimization, quadratic equation, digestibilit

Effects of egg weight on hatchability, chick hatch-weight and subsequent productivity of indigenous Venda chickens in Polokwane, South Africa

A study was conducted to determine the effect of egg weight on hatchability, chick hatch-weight, mortality and subsequent productivity of indigenous Venda chickens. Three hundred and sixty indigenous Venda chicken eggs were collected for a period of a week and selection was done based on the weight of the eggs. A complete randomized design was used, with four treatment weights, each with 90 eggs. The four treatment weights were as follows: below 49 g, between 50 and 59 g, between 60 and 69 g, and above 70 g. Egg weight was positively and strongly correlated with egg hatchability (r2 = 0.727) and chick hatch-weight (r2 = 0.953). Heavier-sized eggs hatched chicks had higher mortality rates. Growth rate and live weight of the chickens were optimized at different egg weights of 56 (r2 = 0.657) and 60 (r2 = 0.870) g, respectively, for chickens aged 1 to 7 weeks, and egg weights of 61 g (r2 = 0.514) and 60 g (r2 = 0.948), respectively, for chickens aged 8 to 13 weeks. It is concluded that indigenous Venda chicken egg weight affects hatchability, hatch-weight, mortality and subsequent productivity of the chickens. It is concluded that production variables were optimized at different egg weights. This means that the selection of eggs for incubation will depend on the parameter in question.Keywords: Venda chickens, egg weight for optimal productivity, growth, mortalit

Effect of Aqueous Moringa Oleifera (Lam) Leaf Extracts on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Hubbard Broiler Chicken

ABSTRACT Two hundred and forty day old broiler chicks were used to investigate the effect of aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extracts (AMOLE) on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicken. The birds were randomly allocated into six treatments with four replicates, and each replicate containing 10 broiler chicks; the CRD was used. The treatments contained AMOLE0+ (positive control with antibiotic treatment), AMOLE0- (negative control with ordinary water), AMOLE60 (60 ml/l), AMOLE90 (90 ml/l), AMOLE120 (120 ml/l) and AMOLE150 (150 ml/l) inclusion levels of AMOLE, respectively. Birds on positive control had the highest final body weight and growth rate (2392.00 g and 53.61 g respectively) and the ones on 150 ml/l of AMOLE had the least (2042.00 g and 45.37 g respectively). Results of feed intake showed that birds on positive control had the highest (84.70 g) and the ones on 90 ml/litre of AMOLE had the lowest (73.19 g); while the results of feed conversion ratio indicated that birds on AMOLE90 and AMOLE120 performed better than the positive control treatment. Birds on the AMOLE had similar dressing percentages though that of positive control was highest (94.93 %); while those on AMOLE60 and AMOLE150 had the highest large intestine and lung weights respectively. Aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extract can be included up to 90 ml/litre in the drinking water of broiler chicken for reduced feed intake (12.83 %) and improved feed conversion efficiency (9.11) thus, AMOLE can be used to replace synthetic antibiotics as growth promoter