Response of maize (Zea mays L.) to green manure from varying populations of cowpea in a derived savannah of Nigeria

A field experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research farm of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, located between longitude 7015’N and latitude 3025’E, a derived savannah in south western Nigeria. The study was carried out between April to September 2009 and March to August 2010 to investigate the effect of varying populations of two local cowpea varieties of contrasting growth habits on green manure production, using maize as test crop. Three population densities each of cowpea varieties Oloyin and Drum, and the control plots were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design and replicated three times. Six weeks after planting, the green manure was uprooted and incorporated in situ. The incorporated green manure was left for a week after which maize variety- SUWAN-IY was planted on all plots. All populations of cowpea variety Oloyin gave significantly higher biomass than all the populations of Drum in 2009; the highest significant fresh biomass was produced at 111,111 plants/ha. In 2010, Drum at 160,000 plants/ha and Oloyin at 111,111 plants/ha produced similar plant biomass (p>0.05) and were significantly higher than all other treatments. However, cowpea variety Drum at 80,000 plants/ha and Oloyin at 55,555 appeared to be more economical relative to other treatments in terms of seed requirements for optimum biomass production and maize grain yield. In 2009 maize grain yield was not significantly different between treatments. In 2010 however, both maize grain yield and cob girth were significantly increased (p<0.05) on green manure plots. Maize grain yield increased by 37-98% and 89-147% on green manure plots in 2009 and 2010, respectively relative to the control plots. In maize production systems in the derived savannah of Nigeria, 55,555 plants/ha of Oloyin and 80,000 plants/ha of Drum could be recommended for green manuring. This will be of immense benefit to the resource- poor farmers in this ecological zone.Key words: cowpea population, green manure, maiz

On the combined effect of the chemical reaction and a higher order temparature profile on the velocity of a stretched vertical permeable surface in the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow in the presence of heat generation and absorption

No Abstract. Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 12(3) 2006: 421-42

Environmental factors affecting birth weight and litter size in Yankasa sheep

No Abstract

Effect of palm oil supplementation on carcass yield and fatty acid composition of growing rabbits.

A 12 week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of palm oil (PO) supplementation at 0% (control), 3% or 5% levels on carcass yields and fatty acid composition of organs of growing rabbits. Results obtained showed that palm oil supplementation did not significantly affect (P> 0.05) carcass and organ yields. Percent analysis however showed that in the heart, myristic acid was highest in the control diet (78.58%), lauric acid in 3% PO (41.56%) and stearic acid in 5% PO (84.43%) groups. In the kidney, there was increased level of palmitic (1.30 - 57.06%) but decreased levels of myristic (43.41 - 0.51%) and oleic acids (9.26 - 8.08%). There were detectable levels of caprylic, linoleic and arachidonic acids in rabbits fed PO diets compared to none in the control group. On the other hand, there were detectable levels of stearic and lauric acids in the control group but none in the PO groups. In the liver, only laurie, stearic and myristic acids were detected, with the latter not detected in the liver of control group. Three rabbits on the control diet died as a result of speticaemia. It was concluded from this study that PO seemed to affect organ fatty acid composition but not on weight of organs. The effect on fatty acid composition was however, not consistent.Keywords: Rabbit, palm oil, carcass, organs, fatty acid

A new poof of multiple solutions of combustions problems

We revisit the combustion problem 1rnddr (rnd&#952dr) +&#955exp(&#952) =0 for the plane (n = 1), cylinder (n = 2) and sphere (n = 3) vessels. Using polynomial approximations. We show that the problem has two (2) solutions. Journal of the Nigerian Association of Mathematical Physics Vol. 10 2006: pp. 497-49

Influence of breed and environmental factors on litter parameters of rabbits raised in a semi-humid environment

The influence of breed and environmental factors such as season, temperature, relative humidity, sunshine hours and wind speed on litter parameters of rabbits raised in a semi-humid environment was investigated using two hundred and twenty four (224) litter records collected between 1991 and 1997. New Zealand White does kindled significantly (P<0.05) larger and heavier litter at birth than the other breeds. Crossbred does produced kits with significantly higher preweaning daily gain and lower neonatal mortality compared with the purebred does. Chinchilla and Crossbred does raised kits with significantly (P<0.05) heavier weaning weights than New Zealand White and Californian does. There was a non-significant effect of season on litter site at birth, kits alive at birth and neonatal mortality. Does that kindled in the cool-wet season had significantly (P<0.05) higher litter birth weight and average kit birth weight compared with does that kindled in the cold-dry and hot-dry seasons. Kits kindled in the hot-dry season had significantly higher preweaning litter daily gain and lower preweaning mortality than those kindled in the other seasons. Does that kindled in the hot-dry and cool-wet seasons weaned more kits than those that kindled in the cold-dry season. There was a significant (P<0.05) negative correlation between maximum temperature and litter size alive at birth, litter birth weight, litter weaning weight, average weaning weight and litter size at weaning. Rainfall and relative humidity had significant positive correlation with average birth weight, while, wind speed was positively correlated with average weaning weight. This study indicates that the best season for rabbit breeding in the semi-humid environment is the hot-dry (February-May) season. Maximum temperature was also observed to be more critical to rabbit reproduction as it influenced negatively more litter parameters than other environmental factors studied.Keywords: Environment, Season, Litter parameters, Rabbits

Effects of feed supplementation and helminth control on productivity of Bunaji cattle under agropastoral management system

No Abstract