Economic Potential of Okra Cultivation for Limited Resource Farmers

Background: Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench), is an economically important vegetable crop with a potential to increase farm incomes of small producers. This is because okra is popular, easy to grow, and valuable with average retail prices of up to $7.07/kg. In Texas, research has shown that diversification of farm operations boosts income and farm sustainability. Hence, exposing farmers to economically important crops that are not typically grown is necessary. Production success is linked to crop variety choices. As result, the objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of multiple varieties of okra (Red Burgundy, Jambalaya, Zarah and Hybrid Green Sparkler) to determine the variety with the highest yield and profitability. We hypothesized that yield and revenue will differ among the okra varieties. Methods: In this study, each okra variety was grown in replicates on three plots. The plants were established at a density of 16,600 plants ha-1 using plasticulture and drip irrigation. N and K were supplied at 33.60 kgha-1 and 11.2 kgha-1 respectively according to soil test recommendations. The okra was picked every other day to prevent development of undesirable pods. Results and Conclusion: When comparing the number of pods per plant, Red Burgundy had a greater yield as compared to Jambalaya (p \u3c 0.05), but the yield was similar to the Zarah and Hybrid Green Sparkler varieties. Similarly, Zarah had a greater yield as compared to Jambalaya but similar to Hybrid Green Sparkler. In terms of pod weight per plant, Red Burgundy’s weight was statistically greater than Jambalaya but similar to the other varieties. Estimated revenue per hectare for Red Burgundy, Zarah, Jambalaya, Hybrid Green Sparkler were$9,565.00, $7,018.20,$6,290.60 and $6,020.00, respectively. These represent 58.9%, 16.6% and 4.5% revenue increase over the green hybrid sparkler variety. Frozen okra revenue estimates followed the same trend. These findings suggests that Red Burgundy provides the highest revenue potential in terms of production and economics and would be the best variety for farmers in East Texas to grow

The Effects of Fertilizer Rate on the Growth of Egyptian Spinach in a Greenhouse

Egyptian spinach (Corchorus olitorius, L.) is an annual herb and a popular vegetable grown in the dry, semi-arid and humid regions of Africa. It belongs to the American basswood family and is very nutritious, and known to have medicinal properties as well. Introducing Egyptian spinach as a specialty crop in Texas requires examining and determining the best cultural practices needed for its successful production. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of three nitrogen fertilizer rates on the growth of Egyptian spinach grown under greenhouse conditions. We hypothesized that the yield of Egyptian spinach will increase with increasing nitrogen fertilizer rate. Seedlings of equal sizes were transplanted six weeks after planting into 15 cm plastic containers with Sunshine Professional Growing Mix. The plants were fertilized weekly with a micronutrient (i.e. boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc) containing fertilizer, All Purpose MiracleGro fertilizer [24-8-16], (Scotts Miracle-Gro Products Inc., Marysville, OH) at 94, 188, and 376 kg N ha-1 for about 4.5 months. Weekly harvesting of the fresh shoots and weighing commenced nine weeks after transplanting and continued for approximately nine additional weeks. At the conclusion of the study, the results showed that the 94 kg N ha-1 rate of MiracleGro provided a significantly higher shoot biomass yield than the other treatments. The results imply that fertilizing Egyptian spinach at the 94 kg N ha-1 fertilizer rate is the best way to optimize yields under similar growing conditions. The results also suggest that optimizing field production of Egyptian spinach may require supplementing soils with micronutrients

A Review of User Vulnerabilities Associated with Shared Sanitation Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa

Aims: Shared sanitation was excluded from the basic service level due to perceived limitations of their hygiene, accessibility and safety. But how does the current body of scientific knowledge influence the narrative? This paper is aimed at reviewing data on the current status and vulnerability issues reported to be associated with shared sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methodology: Literature was searched using key search terms from nine databases. Peerreviewed articles and various reports of individual country studies published in English from January 2000 to April 2022 were selected. Results: As at 2020, the proportion of the population sharing sanitation facilities in SSA was estimated as 19% compared to 7% globally. The review revealed a mixed opinion about issues and vulnerabilities associated with shared sanitation which may have arisen from inconsistencies in the typologies and levels of sharing of facilities among the reviewed studies. Using shared sanitation was found to be associated with an increased risk of diarrheal diseases (OR=1.06; 95%CI: 1.03- 1.08) and non-partner violence against women (OR=1.52; 95%CI: 1.22-1.82). However, there is also evidence that many shared facilities, particularly those shared by a few (2-3) households, are clean, meet the needs of the users and afford them similar health outcomes as non-shared facilities. Conclusion: The findings of the review suggest that the outright exclusion of all forms of shared sanitation from basic sanitation potentially underestimates the global efforts and progress toward access to sanitation. There is a need to segregate communal and public toilets from privately shared facilities in future research as well as the progress reporting by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP). It is also recommended that steps are taken by the JMP to develop indicators for identifying and incorporating quality shared sanitation facilities into the basic sanitation service level in order to give a more realistic account of the global effort towards sanitation access

Using the Logistic Function to Illustrate Periodic Orbits as Recurrent Formation

Recurrence as behaviour in the dynamical system is also a state which happens as a result of an outcome of a point which does return to its initial state. But in dynamical system the most simple and easy way to study regime in one dimension is the logistic function. In this study we seek to understudy the recurrence as a full strong state from the nature or behaviour of the logistic function, where the periodic orbits as behaviour the logistic function is considered. A point can only be termed as recurrent if it is in its own future state. A periodic orbit returns infinitely often to each point on the orbit. And so it is clear that an orbit is recurrent when it returns repeatedly to each neighbourhood of its initial position. Recurrence as in dynamical system is a result of periodic formation which is a movement that returns back to the original state or position at a constant rate. A systematic example for each periodic point from the logistic function relative to a control parameter is discussed. Different iterations tables, diagrams (graphs) for against , tables of stability of periodic nature which shows relative range of the control parameter and are discussed. Through graphical illustrations and algebraic approach, the study showed that in the formation of recurrence through logistic function, the parameter played a major role and not all the periodic points (orbits) lead to recurrent formation. The study also showed that unstable behaviour of the logistic function when, ends the periodic behaviour, hence the absence of recurrence. And the absence of recurrent and the unstable nature of system bring about chaos

CAHS researchers receive provisional patent for potential plant sweetener

The plant is a perennial herb native to southern Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela. It is commonly known as the Aztec sweet herb, bushy lippia, honey herb, or hierba dulce, used as a natural sweetener and medicinal herb in its native Mexico and parts of Central America. The Aztecs used it and introduced it to the Spanish when they arrived. A compound called Hernandulcin, whose sweetness is about 1,000 times higher than in sucrose, provides the plant’s sweet taste.The plant has low Hernandulcin production in its tissues. Despite its sweetness, it isn’t used in the natural sweetener industry due to its complexity, difficulty in chemical synthesis, and the presence of another camphor. This aromatic compound gives an unpleasant taste to the natural extract.https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/datasets-collection/1000/thumbnail.jp

Research and Development for Improved Cassava Varieties in Ghana: Farmers’ Adoption and Effects on Livelihoods

The importance of Cassava in the food systems of Ghanaians cannot be underestimated. As a main staple crop, Cassava contributes about 22% and 30% to the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) and daily calories intake respectively. Per capita consumption of 152 kg makes it the highest among all food crops. Due to Cassava’s importance, there have been lots of attention paid to it by the Government and Donor agencies towards its improvement. This has yielded substantial results in terms of the development of cassava varieties and good agronomic practices. This chapter reviewed cassava technologies development in Ghana, adoption of these technologies by smallholder farmers, and livelihood implications. Results generated showed that Research and Development since 1993 has developed, released, and disseminated 25 new cassava varieties to smallholder farmers. Average cassava yields have increased from about 14 t/ha in 2009 to 21 t/ha in 2018. Partial budget analysis showed that smallholder farmers’ profitability has increased over the years from GH₵644.32 (about US$111) in 2009 to GH₵5243.27 (about US$ 904) in 2018. Again, the crop is gradually gaining attention as an industrial crop for flour, starch, and alcohol production, a drive that would further improve on returns to farmers. It is a food security crop because it is robust, produces more per unit area, and versatile for multiple usages in household foods and derivatives. It is recommended that continuous policy consideration on cassava in national agricultural agenda setting is essential

Phosphoinositide-dependent signaling in cancer: A focus on phospholipase C isozymes

Phosphoinositides (PI) form just a minor portion of the total phospholipid content in cells but are significantly involved in cancer development and progression. In several cancer types, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PtdIns(3,4,5)P3] and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] play significant roles in regulating survival, proliferation, invasion, and growth of cancer cells. Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) catalyze the generation of the essential second messengers diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (InsP3) by hydrolyzing PtdIns(4,5)P2. DAG and InsP3 regulate Protein Kinase C (PKC) activation and the release of calcium ions (Ca2+) into the cytosol, respectively. This event leads to the control of several important biological processes implicated in cancer. PLCs have been extensively studied in cancer but their regulatory roles in the oncogenic process are not fully understood. This review aims to provide up-to-date knowledge on the involvement of PLCs in cancer. We focus specifically on PLC\u3b2, PLC\u3b3, PLC\u3b4, and PLC\u3c9 isoforms due to the numerous evidence of their involvement in various cancer types

Nuclear Inositides and Inositide-Dependent Signaling Pathways in Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of hematological malignancies characterized by peripheral blood cytopenia and abnormal myeloproliferation, as well as a variable risk of evolution into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The nucleus is a highly organized organelle with several distinct domains where nuclear inositides localize to mediate essential cellular events. Nuclear inositides play a critical role in the modulation of erythropoiesis or myelopoiesis. Here, we briefly review the nuclear structure, the localization of inositides and their metabolic enzymes in subnuclear compartments, and the molecular aspects of nuclear inositides in MDS

Small-Scale Palm Oil Production in Ghana: Practices, Environmental Problems and Potential Mitigating Measures

The environmental impact of small-scale palm oil processing mills in Ghana has come under serious questioning, especially the disposal of wastewater generated from their operations. This chapter describes the small-scale palm oil production operations in Ghana to highlight the associated environmental problems arising from the disposal of wastewater and other waste by-products. The chapter further discusses the effluent discharge permitting arrangements and possible modifications to the production practices and policy interventions that could improve their environmental compliance and encourage resource recovery. The data in this chapter was obtained from a survey of selected small-scale palm oil processing mills in Ghana, laboratory analysis of wastewater samples from processing mills and review of related literature. Wastewater generated from the processing activities is currently disposed of without any form of treatment. The characteristics of wastewater indicate the need for treatment before disposal. Treatment technologies that could achieve resource recovery (such as biogas, compost, earthworm biomass) and fit into the framework of circular economy should be explored