Proximate, mineral composition, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content of some pepper varieties (Capsicum species)

Four varieties of the red pepper fruits (Capsicum species) were evaluated for chemical composition, antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents using standard analytical technique, ferric-ion reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assay and Folin-Colcalteau method respectively. The proximate composition values (%) were: moisture (82.54 – 85.19), crude protein (2.64 – 3.51), ash (1.21 – 3.03), fat (1.52 – 2.87), crude fibre (2.37 – 4.71) and CHO (4.62 – 6.71). Minerals were of reasonable levels with Na, K, Ca, and P significantly high in Capsicum frutescens ‘Bird pepper’. Na/K and Ca/P values were found to be less than1 except in Capsicum frutescens (cayenne pepper). Antioxidant activity ranged from 46.66 (bird pepper) – 172.00 (cayenne pepper) mg GAE/100 g ww) while total phenolic content ranged from 55.73 (bird pepper) – 138.00 (bell pepper) ìmole GAE/g WW. The results indicate that Capsicum frutescens bird pepper (Ata wewe), Capsicum frutescens (cayenne pepper) (Ata Sombo), Capsicum annum (Bell pepper) (tatase), and Capsicum annum sweet pepper (Atarodo) used as major condiments in preparation of traditional diets in Nigeria can be utilized as sources of protein supplement, valuable minerals and dietary antioxidants. They canserve as scavengers of free radicals reported to be associated with occurrence of chronic and degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases.Keywords: Peppers, phytochemicals, Nutritional composition, Free radicals, Disease

Perceived extension needs of rubber production among farmers in Delta State, Nigeria

The need to develop a sustainable exploitation system for the Nigerian rubber farmers requires that extension services should be available to assist the farmers in specific areas that can help them function effectively and improve productivity. The study investigated the perceived extension needs of rubber production farmers in Delta state Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to determine sources of information on rubber production, varieties of rubber clones cultivated by the respondents, perceived extension needs of rubber farmers, and constraints to rubber production. A multi stage sampling technique was used to select 120 rubber farmers as respondents for the study. Data were analysed using frequency, percentages, means and Pearson Product Moment correlation analysis. Results showed that majority of the respondents (85.5%) were male, married (83.3%) and had average farming experience of 14 years. The NIG801 and NIG800 varieties were the local clones majorly cultivated and the GT1 and PB217 varieties were the exotic clones majorly cultivated. Findings also showed that respondents need production information on use of formic acid for latex coagulation (66.7%), use of ammonia for latex preservation (73.3%) and marketing information (60.8%). The constraintsindicated by the respondents were problem of land tenure (81.7%), lack of adequate credit facilities (70%), fire outbreaks (72.5%) among others. The result of the hypothesis showed that age (r = 0.199) had a positive significant relationship with farmers’ extension needs. It was recommended that extension personnel should be trained on techniques of rubber production in order to deliver effectively to the farmers. Key words: extension needs, rubber, farmers, Delta, Nigeri

Worth assessment of information and their access points by small scale Cassava farmers in Nigeria

This study determined the access, worth assessment and use of information by small-scale farmers in Oyo State. The study described socio-economic characteristics of small-scale cassava farmers; ascertained information access point preferences and analyzed information worth assessment. A multi stage sampling was used to select 360 respondents and data were collected through pre-tested and face validated questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.88. The results show that majority of the cassava farmers (76.4%) had low access to information and 85.6% rated cassava innovation packages as of low worth. The most frequently used access point is oral communication (83%), which was also rated highest in motivation ability (77.7%), regularity (96.3%) and relevance of information (83.4%). Radio was rated as the most persistent (68.5%). social participation, farm size and use of hired labour had a statistically significant effect on access to information (p<0.01). Religious participation, average income and social participation also had a statistically significant effect on information worth assessment (p<0.05). The study recommends that local farmers’ groups identified as information providers should be recognized and used in complementing conventional extension efforts. This will improve access, worth assessment and consequently use of improved cassava information by small-scale cassava farmers in Oyo State.S.Afr. Tydskr. Landbouvoorl./S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext., Vol. 39 Nr 2, 2011: 69 – 7

Knowledge Levels of Extension Agents and their Perceived Impact of Climate Change on Extension Service Provision in Ghana

This study examined the knowledge levels of extension agents and their perceived impact of climate change on extension service provision in Ghana. Specifically, it examined awareness levels of agents on the causes, effects and methods for mitigating climate change. It also determined their perceived impact of climate on extension service delivery. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from a sample size of 192 respondents from 10 regions in Ghana who were randomly selected. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Data was further analysed qualitatively by content analysis given the prevalent use of Likert type scale analyses. The findings showed that majority of the respondents were males within the age range of 40 to 49 years, married with above 15years work experience in extension service provision. They possessed high awareness of the concept - climate change, and need for farmers to be exposed to new technology. The study concluded that extension workers have to be abreast of innovations in agriculture and there is a need for incorporation of meteorological information in extension messages to farmers. It was recommended that extension agents should embrace a more innovative and participatory approaches of providing services

Knowledge and attitude of agriculture students towards commercialization of date palm in university of Ilorin, Nigeria

In spite of the comparative advantages that Nigeria has in the production of date palm, its cultivation is  largely limited to the homestead. This study assessed the knowledge and attitude of agriculture students  of the University of Ilorin towards the commercialization of the plant. The study also investigated the  relationship between attitude towards the commercialization of the date palm and some selected  characteristics of the students. A total of 86 students were selected using a multi-stage sampling  technique. Descriptive statistics and the correlation analysis were the tools used to analyze the data for  the study. The study revealed that only 20.9% of the students had a high knowledge of date palm  production. At p<0.05 students’ knowledge of date palm had a significant relationship with positive  attitude towards the commercialization of the plant. In addition, students’ interest in agriculture as a course of study (p<0.05) and their interest in agriculture as a career (p<0.01) were positively related to their attitude towards the commercialization of date palm. The study concluded that the level of  knowledge and the attitude of agriculture students were generally poor. Increased awareness and knowledge of the agronomy and economics of the plant are therefore suggested among the students. Students who are studying agriculture because they could not secure admission in their courses of choice should be counseled on the potentials in agriculture as a career to enable them settle in and embrace  agriculture. Lastly, the study recommends that entrepreneurship and enterprise development should be impressed upon agricultural students.Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Commercialization and Date PalmRunning Title: Knowledge and Attitude towards Date Palm Commercializatio

CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS, ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF TIGERNUT (Cyperus esculentus) AND POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) considered as an intrusive weed in most countries but taken as snack in Nigeria was analyzed for proximate and mineral compositions using standard analytical techniques. Antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract was measured using 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picryhydrazyl (DPPH), while the total phenolic content was determined according to Folin-Ciocalteu method. The results revealed that the three forms of the tuber (dry, raw and roasted) as consumed had % moisture ranging from (12.57-43.84); protein (1.32-2.24); fat (1.44-1.54); ash (3.34- 6.69); crude fibre (16.14-17.14); and carbohydrate (30.58-62.79). The samples were significantly high in Na, K and Ca. Na-K ratio was also found to be less than 1 suggesting its suitability in formulating diets for hypertensive patients. Antioxidant activity of the samples ranged from 3.72- 5.90; 5.22-9.72; 11.63-16.10; and 15.95-23.00 % inhibitions at different levels of concentrations while total phenolic content ranged from (806.7- 1150.7) micromole GAE/g. The results indicate that the edible tubers which are used for non-alcoholic local beverage formulation, in medicine and cosmetic industry can be utilized to ‘mop up’ and scavenge free-radicals generated by essential metabolic body reactions and environmental pollutants. It is hoped that addition of tiger nut as side dish and adjunct in traditional diets will probably alleviate the symptoms associated with neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases

Youth Development Agents' Needs: Challenges for Extension Volunteer Management Competencies in Nigeria

This study examined the needs of youth development agents as it affects extension volunteer managers' competencies. Youth development agencies who had registered with Global Youth Actions Network (GYAN) in Nigeria were used as the population of the study. A total of twenty nine (29) managers of these agencies with agricultural extension based activities were selected using purposive sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was administered online to elicit relevant information from the respondents for the purpose of the study. The study revealed that, majority (70%) of the respondents were male with an average age of twenty six (26) years. Out of the seventeen (17) areas of competencies identified among these managers, motivating youth volunteers ranked first, having a mean value of 4.07. The hypothesis testing carried out using correlation showed a significant relationship between agent's frequency of using volunteer administration and importance of volunteers in management (P<0.01) giving 0.653 while a significant relationship of 0.390 (P< 0.05) was also observed between importance of volunteers in management and training among agencies managers. It was also observed that volunteer agents could benefit from educational opportunities, resource materials and other support services in each of the areas of competencies. Regular training was therefore recommended for youth development agents to enable them update, improve and learn new strategies in the application of their competencies for extension service delivery.Keywords: Youth, Development, Agents' needs, Volunteer management, Competencies

Analysis of poultry farmers perception on environmental issues associated with poultry farming in Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examined the poultry farmers perception on environmental issues associated with poultry farming in Kwara State of Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: (i) describe the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers (ii) determine respondents’ perceptions  of environmental issues associated with poultry farming and (iii) determine the level of farmers’ awareness of environmental protection agency’s activities. A well-structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from one hundred and twenty five (125) randomly selected commercial poultry farmers from the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Kwara state Chapter. Data were analysed using descriptive statistic and Multiple Regression Analysis. Results of analysis showed that mean age of respondents was 45years, average farm size was 1320 birds and poultry farming experience was 11 years. Also, majority were male (79.2 %), married (83.2%), and had tertiary education (97.6%). The perceptions of farmers on environmental issues was high (mean =3.80). and significantly influenced by farmers’ age (β= 0.225, p < 0.05), level of education (β= 0.178, p < 0.01), farming experience (β= 0.142, p < 0.05), and farm size (β= 0.177, p < 0.05). Level of farmers’ awareness of the activities of environmental protection agency was also low (38.8%) in the study area. The study concluded that poultry farmers’ perception on environmental issues associated with poultry farming was high in the study area. The study recommends among others that this high perception potential could be used as premise by relevant stakeholders or agencies responsible for environmental protection, in providing farmers with appropriate innovations on environmental management and protection. Keywords: Poultry farming, Perception, Environmental issues, Kwara stat

Modelling the ecological dynamics of mosquito populations with multiple co-circulating Wolbachia strains

Wolbachia intracellular bacteria successfully reduce the transmissibility of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) when introduced into virus-carrying vectors such as mosquitoes. Despite the progress made by introducing Wolbachia bacteria into the Aedes aegypti wild-type population to control arboviral infections, reports suggest that heat-induced loss-of-Wolbachia-infection as a result of climate change may reverse these gains. Novel, supplemental Wolbachia strains that are more resilient to increased temperatures may circumvent these concerns, and could potentially act synergistically with existing variants. In this article, we model the ecological dynamics among three distinct mosquito (sub)populations: a wild-type population free of any Wolbachia infection; an invading population infected with a particular Wolbachia strain; and a second invading population infected with a distinct Wolbachia strain from that of the first invader. We explore how the range of possible characteristics of each Wolbachia strain impacts mosquito prevalence. Further, we analyse the differential system governing the mosquito populations and the Wolbachia infection dynamics by computing the full set of basic and invasive reproduction numbers and use these to establish stability of identified equilibria. Our results show that releasing mosquitoes with two different strains of Wolbachia did not increase their prevalence, compared with a single-strain Wolbachia-infected mosquito introduction and only delayed Wolbachia dominance

A Systematic Review of Mathematical Models of Dengue Transmission and Vector Control: 2010–2020

Vector control methods are considered effective in averting dengue transmission. However, several factors may modify their impact. Of these controls, chemical methods, in the long run, may increase mosquitoes’ resistance to chemicides, thereby decreasing control efficacy. The biological methods, which may be self-sustaining and very effective, could be hampered by seasonality or heatwaves (resulting in, e.g., loss of Wolbachia infection). The environmental methods that could be more effective than the chemical methods are under-investigated. In this study, a systematic review is conducted to explore the present understanding of the effectiveness of vector control approaches via dengue transmission models