Protectant, insecticidal and antimicrobial potentials of Dalbergia saxatilis Hook f. (fabaceae)

The protectant, insecticidal and antimicrobial potentials of the Nigerian plant, Dalbergia saxatilis (Fabaceae) were investigated. The dried powdered leaves of D. saxatilis were established as a control agent for the cowpea pest, Callosobruchus maculatus. Damage was drastically reduced when cowpea seeds were treated with dry powdered leaves of D. saxatilis. Doses of 0.75 g/150 seeds and above significantly reduced crop damage, oviposition and larval development without affecting the viability ofthe seeds. Similarly, the crude 95% ethanol extract and the aqueous methanol and hexane fractions of the bark extract showed insecticidal activity against adult mosquitoes at 0.2% concentration in ethylacetate. The crude 95% ethanol extracts of the leaves and bark were screened against six pathogenic microorganisms (ATCC). While the leaves extract was active against only Staphylococcus aureus at minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) 1000 mg/ml, the bark extract displayed broad and interesting antimicrobial spectra. The bark extracts gave activity at MICs 250, 125, 1000 and 1000 mg/ml against S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. The above properties demonstrate the great potentials of D. saxatilis for use in agriculture and medicine. The relevance of bioassay-guided fractionation in ensuring consistency and enhancement of efficacy and quality of phyto-medicines and bio-pesticides is discussed

Effects of perceived cost, service quality, and customer satisfaction on health insurance service continuance

This paper aims to contribute to the universal discourse on financial services continuance behavior by examining the impact of service cost on customers\u27 service-quality perception and service continuance intention. It presents the results of an empirical study that has explored the impacts of service cost, service quality, and customer satisfaction on health insurance customers\u27 behavioral intention toward continuing or discontinuing with their service providers. Very few studies had examined the impact of service cost on service-quality perception. Our study attempts to fill that gap. A sample of 820 customers was surveyed, and 624 usable responses were analyzed with ANOVA, standard multiple regression, and logistic regression. Our findings indicate that, although highly satisfied health insurance customers will most likely retain their current service providers, customer dissatisfaction does not necessarily lead to discontinuance. Our results also provide some operational implications for health insurance managers, with strategies for reducing attrition and improving customer retention

The use of plant extracts in the control of Aspergillus niger in the rot of yam (Dioscorea spp.) during storage

The storage rot of yam (Dioscorea spp) starts from the field to the storage barn. Fungi pathogens affecting yam tubers are controlled by either synthetic pesticides or plant extracts.The following plant extracts, Vernonia amygdalina (bittter leaf), Azadirachta indica (neem), Ocimum gratissimum (nchuanwu), Pergularia spp. (utazi), Citrus aurantifolia (lime), Allium sativum (gallic), and Capsicum annum (red pepper) were used to control the rot of yam (caused by Aspergillus niger). The ethanol extracts of the test plants were observed to have higher fungitoxic ability than the water extracts on A. niger, which was isolated from the rotten yam tubers. Ethanol extracts of A. indica and O. gratissimum were observed to have the highest percentage fungi growth inhibition, having 68.8% and 65.2% respectively, while A. sativum, and C. annum had the lowest with 36.3% and 40.6% respectively. A. indica was also observed to have the highest severity and A. sativum had the lowest. However, yam tubers which were treated 2 days before inoculation were observed to have more inhibitory effect on the fungi pathogen than those treated 2 days after inoculation.Keywords: storage-rot, yam-tubers, plant-extracts, fungal-pathogens, severityInternational Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 6 2005: 74-8

Integrated pest management (IPM) and good agricultural practices (GAP) in relation to food security: need for government policy for successful implementation

Agricultural development is caught between increased competition accompanied by decreasing prices, land degradation and concerns for sustainability, environment, safe food and animal / human health. Pesticides have been around in some form or another for centuries and have posed a lot of harm to our crops, environment and animals over the years. The increased environmental and public health awareness and the need to implement sustainable agricultural production systems have discouraged the injudicious use of pesticides. Integrated pest management (IPM) and Good agricultural practices (GAP) aims to minimise the use of chemical pesticides and to ensure an integration of various control measures in an informal manner without harmful effects on the environment and occupational and public health. Decision makers in developing countries have to find an appropriate balance between a careful reversal of proactive pesticide support in the traditional agricultural development agenda, which nevertheles does not endanger food security and rural development objectives. For a successful implementation of IPM and GAP, government policy on agricultural development need to provide financial resources for their continual development. International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 7(1) 2006: 80-8