Performance and Nutrient Digestibility of Acha Grains (Digitaria iburua ) as Replacement for Maize in the Diet of Female Grower Rabbits

Feed cost represents 60 - 80% of the total cost of rabbit production.  Twenty seven (27) female grower rabbits of mixed breeds aged 10 weeks with weight range of 853.33g to 866.67g were used for this study. The animals were divided on weight equalisation into three treatment groups consisting of three inclusion levels of acha grains (0%, 50%, 100%). Data were collected on growth performance and nutrient digestibility. This study was conducted for a period of 70 days. Data were subjected to one way analysis of variance in a completely randomized design. Female grower rabbits fed 50% acha grain had higher (p<0.05) final weight gain (1800.00g). Female grower rabbits fed 50% acha grains had higher (p<0.05) crude fibre (67.35%) and dry matter digestibilities (76.33%). It can be concluded that replacement of maize with acha grains at 50% inclusion level can improve the performance and nutrient digestibility of female grower rabbits. Keywords: Acha grain, maize, grower rabbits

Assessment of knowledge on functional values of edible insects in Peri urban communities of Ijebu Ode Local Government area, Ogun State Nigeria

This study examined the knowledge on functional value of edible insect in per urban communities of Ijebu Ode Local Government Area (LGA) in  Ogun State. Sixty residents were selected through purposive sampling from 11 communities in the LGA. Primary data collected through   administered questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics such as simple percentage and frequency count were used. Hypothesis was tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The results revealed that about half (48.3%) of the respondents were between 31-40 years. A larger percentage was male (61.7%) and Christian (61.7%). Majority (68%) was married and 63.3% possess tertiary education. About one third of the respondents (33.3%) were civil servants and 28.3% earn between ₦41,000-₦60,000. Cricket, termite, palm weevil, yam beetle, caterpillar, silkworm, and locust respectively were the identified indigenous species of insects being consumed by the people. Also, more of the respondents eat crickets followed by locust and then termites. The results further revealed respondents’ knowledge of functional values of edible insects’ consumption and constraints to edible insects’ consumption. The results of the Pearson Product Moment  Correlation revealed that there is no significant relationship between respondent’s socio-economic characteristics’ and their edible insect  consumption at p < 0.05. This study concludes that residents of peri urban communities have good knowledge of functional values of edible insects. It is therefore recommended that there should be more awareness on consumption of edible insects since it is nutritious so that people can benefit from the numerous nutrients of these edible insects. Key words: functional value, edible insect, Ijebu Ode, pearson product moment correlatio

Determinant of agroforestry practices among small holder farmers in Oyo State Nigeria

The multiplicity of agroforestry practices demand the choice of appropriate methods that will give the rural farmers an excellent result. Thus, this study analysed the factors determining the choice of agroforestry practices among small holder farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. Primary data was obtained using multi-stage sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was administered to 250 selected small holder farmers to elicit relevant information and 211 was retrieved and used for this study. The findings revealed that most 55% of the farmers chose agrisilvicutural system while 33.2% and 11.8% of the farmers chose agrosilvopastoral and silvopastoral systems respectively. Most of the farmers were males 89.1%, with average age of 47years indicating they were relatively young with basic formal education. The average farm size of 3.34ha indicated that the study covered small holder farmers. The multinomial logit result showed that factors such as educational level, meeting attendance, type of labour used, household assets significantly determined the choice of agroforestry practices adopted by the farmers. The study therefore recommends the implementation of policies that promote more enlightenment on the benefits of agroforestry to both the educated and non-educated farmers to facilitate quick adoption, provision of incentives to farmers that attend meetings regularly and making available improved agroforestry methods and practices to enhance wider suitability of agroforestry practices

Responses of different poultry manure levels on the growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus linn.) in Ibadan, Nigeria

The experiment was conducted at the research Farm, Federal College of Forestry Technology, Ibadan, Nigeria, to determine the Effect of Organic Manure (Poultry Manure) levels on the Growth and Yield of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus Linn.) in Ibadan, Nigeria. Cucumis sativus seed purchased from Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) Ibadan, were planted on 5m by 3m pieces of land comprising of (15) beds which were divided into five columns and three rows consisting of two treatments and five replicates, treatment of 10g and 15g of poultry manure was applied per replicate. The experiment was laid out in a randomized completely block design (RCBD) comprising two treatments (including control) and each replicated five times making a total of fifteen. Both treatments showed significant variations in growth and yield parameters. The results showed that cucumber plant treated with poultry manure at 15g had highest numbers of leaves (62.28), vine length (44.04 cm), vine diameter (4.86 cm), numbers of branches (4.5 cm), which eventually resulted into bountiful fruit production with fruit length (18.1 cm/ha), fruit diameter (4.5 cm/ha), number of fruits (4.8 ), average fruit weight (169.5 g/ha) and yield (31.9 t/ ha) on the average, The increase in vine diameters and leaves production was significant at (p<0.1 and p<0.05) respective. The interactions of all other parameters were found non-significant except on average fruit weight.  The application of poultry manures at 15 t/ha is thereby recommended for commercially production of cucumber plants in lbadan for rapid growth and yield. Keywords: Manure, levels, growth, yield, cucumber

Co–infection of hepatitis B and C viruses among human immunodeficiency virus infected children in Lagos, Nigeria

Introduction: The co–infection of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and C viruses remains a public health problem particularly in resource limited setting like Nigeria. Studies on these co–infections have been done principally among adult and pregnant women with limited information on the pediatric population. The study aims at documenting the burden and the patterns of HIV/HBV, HIV/HCV and HIV/HBV/HCV co–infections in children in Lagos, Nigeria.Methods: A cross–sectional study carried out at the Virology Research Laboratory, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos between December 2008 and January 2014. A total of 393 confirmed HIV infected children aged between <1 to 15 years were screened from two tertiary health facilities; Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH, n=272) and Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH, n=121), Lagos. Plasma samples were screened for markers for HBV (HBsAg, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBcIgM) and HCV (anti–HCV) using a fourth generation enzyme–linked immunosorbent assay (DIA. PRO. Diagnostic Bioprobes Srl., Italy).Results: Out of the 393 samples analyzed, 40 (10.2%) were sero–positive for dual HIV/HBV co–infection, comprising 21 (52.5%) females and 19 (47.5%) males, while 15 (3.8%) had detectable antibodies to HCV consisting of 7 (46.7%) females and 8 (53.3%) males without any statistical significance. On the overall, two (0.5%) of the participants were seropositive for triple HIV, HBV and HCV co–infections. HIV/HBV co–infection was detected among all the age groups, whereas, HIV/HCV co–infection was not seen among children <1 to 5 years.Conclusion: This analysis confirmed a high prevalence of HBV, low prevalence of HCV and suggests that chronic hepatitis may be prevalent among our HIV–infected children. Thus, routine screening and early detections are therefore necessary for an appropriate treatment plan for children co–infected with HIV/HBV and or with HCV.Keywords: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Co–infection and Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA

Demographic attributes of COVID-19 patients in an Infectious Disease Center of Nigeria

Background: As part of our contribution to the growing pool of knowledge on the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study describes the demographic features of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at Infectious Disease Center (IDC), Olodo, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of COVID-19 patients whose data were collected during admission between April 27, 2020 and June 20, 2020. SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed on nasopharyngeal specimen using a real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., USA) version 20.0Results: Among 131 patients, 58% were between age 18 and 35 years, 48.1% were employees of private establishments, and 64.1% were males. High proportion (84.3%) of the patients spent less than 14 days on admission. As at June 20, 2020, the overall COVID-19 mortality in the IDC was 0.0%.Conclusion: This study concluded that COVID-19 was common among male Nigerians, those working in private establishments, and those aged 18-35 years. Future researches on COVID-19 in Nigeria must put gender and age into consideration. Keywords: SARS-COV2; COVID-19; age; gender; occupation French Title: Attributs démographiques des patients atteints de COVID-19dans un centre de maladies infectieuses du Nigéria Contexte: Dans le cadre de notre contribution au pool croissant de connaissances sur la prévention et le contrôle de la pandémie COVID-19, cette étude décrit les caractéristiques démographiques des patients atteints de COVID19 hospitalisés au Centre des maladies infectieuses (IDC), Olodo, Ibadan, État d'Oyo, Nigéria. Méthodologie: Il s'agissait d'une étude transversale descriptive de patients atteints de COVID-19 dont lesdonnées ont été collectées lors de l'admission entre le 27 avril 2020 et le 20 juin 2020. L'infection par le  SRASCoV-2 a été diagnostiquée sur un échantillon nasopharyngé à l'aide d'une transcription inverse en temps réel–Test de réaction en chaîne par polymérase (rRT-PCR). Les données ont été analysées à l'aide du StatisticalPackage for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., USA) version 20.0 Résultats: Parmi 131 patients, 58% avaient entre 18 et 35 ans, 48,1% étaient des employés d'établissementsprivés et 64,1% étaient des hommes. Une forte proportion (84,3%) des patients ont passé moins de 14 jours àl'admission. Au 20 juin 2020, la mortalité globale par COVID-19 dans l'IDC était de 0,0%. Conclusion: Cette étude a conclu que le COVID-19 était courant chez les hommes Nigérians, ceux travaillantdans des établissements privés et ceux âgés de 18 à 35 ans. Les futures recherches sur le COVID-19 au Nigériadoivent prendre en compte le sexe et l'âge. Mots clés: SRAS-COV2; COVID-19; âge; le sexe; occupatio

Marketing Analysis of Ducks in Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria

The study assessed the marketing activities of ducks in Akinyele Local Government Area. The study was carried out in three selected main markets (Ojoo, Moniya, and Shasha). Information was generated from ninety-four (94) duck marketers in the study area using structured questionnaire to determine the socio-economic characteristics of duck sellers, profitability, market performance and problems militating against duck marketing. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Gini coefficient, budgetary analysis and marketing margin. The result showed that 52.1% of respondents were males while about 47.9% of respondents were females. Age range of 40-50 (38.3%) is the majority which means that adult dominate the duck business. Majority of them are married (63.8%), with no formal education (31.9%) and with marketing experience (40.4%) of less than five years. The result of the Gini coefficient was 0.52 which implied that the degree of income inequalities is high in sales revenue of the respondents and hence high level of concentration. Moniya market is more efficient among the other market visited. Duck selling business in Moniya is more profitable as sellers on the average realized gross revenue of ₦280,700; followed by Ojoo, ₦147,582; and Shasha, ₦116,640. The problems encountered include, low patronage, low price, disease infestation, mortality and theft. It was recommended that there should be general awareness of the business as a means of employment which would serve as poverty alleviation in the society. Key words: Market structure, Market performance, Profitability, Duck

Assessment of Extension Officers Contribution to Cocoa Production in Nigeria

This study was carried out to evaluate the extension officer contribution to cocoa production in Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used, where two hundred and sixteen questionnaires were distributed in Osun and Ondo state , the information gathered were analyzed using descriptive statistic such as; frequency and percentage, while chi-square analysis was used to analyze the data obtained. From the results, married (77.6%),  male (84.0%), secondary school holders (52.0%), between 40-49 (34.4%) years old farmers were seen as the highest cocoa producers. Extension training(64.0%), commercial agents(64.0%), fellowship(52.8%), self observation(76.0%) were the best source of information on extension service of cocoa farming , most respondents (65.0%); get extension training programme at regular basis, identified Constraints facing cocoa production in the study area includes deficient credit facilities, high cost of labour, bad road, poor marketing/storage facilities, lack of technical knowledge / assess to technical tools and so on. in view of afore mentioned result it is therefore recommended that the government should make loan available to the cocoa famers at very low interest rate and urge cocoa farmers to form cooperative society, strengthen their agricultural extension agents so that they will be able to rain cocoa farmers on the basic things they should know about primary processing such as fermentation and drying of cocoa beans in improving the quality in Nigeria to meet international market. Keywords: Assessment, Extension officer, Contribution, Farmers, Cocoa productio

Effects of pyridoxine in combination with different antioxidants on viability and oxidative stress parameters of cryopreserved goat buck semen

The effects of pyridoxine alone or combined with different antioxidants on viability and oxidative stress parameters of cryopreserved sperm of goat bucks were studied. Pooled semen samples diluted with tris-egg yolk extenders were supplemented in the Study I: with 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM of pyridoxine; in the study II with 2 mM of pyridoxine (P) each combined with different concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM) of vitamin E (PE), vitamin C (PC) and melatonin (PM); and in study III: with 2 mM of pyridoxine each supplemented with different combinations of vitamin C, vitamin E and melatonin (PCEM) each at different concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM). The results showed higher (pSe estudiaron los efectos de la piridoxina sola, o en combinación con diferentes antioxidantes, sobre los parámetros de viabilidad y estrés oxidativo de los espermatozoides caprinos criopreservados. Muestras combinadas de semen, diluidas con diluyente yema de huevo-tris se complementaron, en el estudio I con 0, 2, 4, 6 y 8 mM de piridoxina; en el estudio II con 2 mM de piridoxina (P), en combinación con diferentes concentraciones (0, 2, 4, 6 y 8 mM) de vitamina E (PE), vitamina C (PC) o melatonina (PM); y en el estudio III con 2 mM de piridoxina suplementada con combinaciones de vitamina C, vitamina E y melatonina (PCEM) a diferentes concentraciones (0, 2, 4, 6 y 8 mM). Los resultados mostraron mayor (