HERITABILITY, COMBINING ABILITY AND INHERITANCE OF STORAGE ROOT DRY MATTER IN YAM BEANS

Storage root dry matter content (RDM) is central to the improvement of consumer and industrial attributes of root crops. Yam bean ( Pachyrhizus species) is a legume root crop newly introduced in Uganda, but its adoption may be constrained by low RDM. The objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude of variance for general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects, heritability estimates and inheritance of RDM in yam beans. Progenies of sixteen crosses, generated using the North Carolina (NCII) mating scheme, were evaluated in F1 and F2 field experiments, with three replications at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Namulonge in Central Uganda, during the first cropping seasons of April, 2013 and 2014, respectively. Significant (p<0.001) mean squares for general combining ability (GCA), and specific combining ability (SCA) were observed in F1 and F2 generations, demonstrating additive and non-additive genetic inheritance of RDM. High Baker\u2019s ratio in F1 (0.76) and F2 (0.78), and large \u3c32GCA/ \u3c32SCA (3.13) indicate predominance of additive gene effects. Narrow sense heritability was high in both F1 (0.74) and F2 (0.75), implying that RDM can be improved in yam beans through selection. The results provide a basis for selection of suitable parents for hybridisation and breeding programmes to develop high dry matter yam bean varieties in Uganda.La teneur en mati\ue8res \ue8che du stock racinaire (MSR) est essentiel en terme d\u2019am\ue9lioration des qualit\ue9s des cultures racinaires pour les consommateurs et d\u2019industriels. Le haricot-igname (esp\ue8ce Pachyrhizus ) est une culture racinaire l\ue9gumineuse nouvellement introduite en Ouganda, mais son adoption pourrait \ueatre handicap\ue9e par sateneur basse en mati\ue8res \ue8che racinaire. Cette \ue9tude avait pour objectif d\u2019\ue9tudier le niveau de la variance pour les effets de la capacit\ue9 de combinaison g\ue9n\ue9rale et la capacit\ue9 de combinaison sp\ue9cifique, estimations de l\u2019h\ue9ritabilit\ue9 et l\u2019h\ue9ritage de MSR dans les haricots ignames. Les prog\ue9nies de seize croisements g\ue9n\ue9r\ue9s \ue0 l\u2019aide du syst\ue8me de croisement de la Caroline du Nord (NCII), ont \ue9t\ue9 \ue9valu\ue9s dans des essais en champs de F1 et F2 avec trois r\ue9p\ue9titions \ue0 l\u2019Institut National de Recherche sur les Ressources V\ue9g\ue9tales (NaCRRI), Namulonge en Ouganda, pendant les premi\ue8res saisons culturalesd\u2019 Avril 2013 et 2014, respectivement. Les carr\ue9s moyens significatifs (P<0,001) de capacit\ue9 g\ue9n\ue9ralede combinaison et capacit\ue9 sp\ue9cifique de combinaison \ue9taient observ\ue9s dans les g\ue9n\ue9rations F1 et F2 d\ue9montrant ainsi un heritage g\ue9n\ue9tique additif et non additive de MSR. Le rapport \ue9lev\ue9 de Baker en F1 (0,76) et F2 (0,78), et \u3c32GCA/ \u3c32SCA (3.13) large indiquent la pr\ue9dominance des effets de g\ue8nes additifs. Une \ue9troite h\ue9ritabilit\ue9 d\u2019ordre de F1 (0.74) et F2 (0.75) \ue9tait observ\ue9e, ce qui implique que MSR peut \ueatre am\ue9lior\ue9 dans le haricot-igname par voie de s\ue9lection. Les r\ue9sultats constituent une base pour la s\ue9lection des parents appropri\ue9s pour les programmes d\u2019hybridation et d\u2019am\ue9lioration g\ue9n\ue9tique pour d\ue9velopper des vari\ue9t\ue9s de haricot-ignames \ue0 haute teneur en mati\ue8res\ue8 che en Ouganda

The Influence of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Africa

Half a century ago, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted two great covenants, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which brought force of law to the rights declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Both covenants have been widely ratified by the vast majority of African States. However, a largely neglected area of study has been assessing the influence of the ICESCR in various parts of the world including Africa. This article assesses the influence of the ICESCR in Africa. It seeks to show how the ICESCR, as interpreted by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has, through the 50 years since its adoption, had influence on the regional and domestic protection of economic, social and cultural rights (ESC rights) in Africa. The article begins by considering the influence of the Covenant on the regional protection of human rights in Africa. This is followed by an analysis of the influence of the Covenant on the protection of ESC rights in domestic legal systems in Africa focusing primarily on the constitutional protection of ESC rights. It then considers the limited influence of the Covenant on national courts’ jurisprudence in African States applying dualist and monist approaches to international treaties. It ends by making recommendations to maximize the influence of the ICESCR in the future

Medical Evidence of Human Rights Violations against Non-Arabic-Speaking Civilians in Darfur: A Cross-Sectional Study

Alexander Tsai and colleagues review medical records from the Amel Centre, Sudan, to assess consistency between recorded medical evidence and patient reports of human rights violations by the Government of Sudan and Janjaweed forces

Schistomiasis of the spinal cord: report of two cases

(East African Medical Journal: 2001 78(1): 49-51

SCHISTOMIASIS OF THE SPINAL CORD: REPORT TWO CASES

Schktosomiasis affects over 200 million people worldwide. Schistosomiasis of the spinal cordis a rare occurrence. In Africa, there have been recent reports from Egypt and South Africa.In Uganda, the last histological records were over two decades ago. Schistosomiasis of thespinal cord is commonly caused by Schistosoma mansoni althoughSchistosoma haematobiumhas been isolated. Two case reports are presented. In both patients, the diagnosis was maderetn>spectively. The first patient was afemale patient with alesion in the thoracic region. Thesecond patient was a 21 year old male with a lesion in the conus. Apart from a block on themyeI,ograms, all other laboratory investigations were negative. The diagnosis was madehistdogically in both cases with the identification of eggs of schistosoma in the spinal cord.The eggs could however, not be retrieved from the stool or urine samples. Both patients weretreated with antischistosomal drugs and steroids. On follow up they had marked improvementin their neurological signs. We hope to renew attention in this rare but devastatingneurological manifestation of a disease which affects many in our region and which if leftuntreated can lead to permanent neurological damage

Smallholder local chicken production and available feed resources in central Uganda

The poultry industry in Uganda is mainly based on free-range (scavenging) indigenous chickens, kept at the subsistence level. Chicken population rose from 23.5 million in 2005 to 37.4 million in 2008; and most of these chicken (over 80%) were indigenous to the country. A survey was conducted in Central Uganda to assess the available feed resources for chicken. The study involved300 household heads purposively selected. A focus group discussion involving 50 farmers from the same community, was also involved. Issues related to feeds, especially high prices were the main factors contributing to reduced chicken production in the study areas. Less than 5% of the farmers knew the nutritive contents of the chicken feeds. Sixty percent gave alternative feeds depending on season of availability. There was a clear difference between farmers who had some knowledge about feed nutrient composition and those who had no idea. Furthermore, the competition between food and feed furthered the increase in feed prices, thus forcing producers to look for alternative feeds and locally available feeds. The possibility for utilising by-products for poultry feeds need research attention.Key words: Feed resources, feed competition, indigenous chicke

Effect of pre-incubation and incubation conditions on hatchability and chick quality of Kuroiler chickens

A study was conducted to review the effects of pre-incubation and incubation conditions on hatchability and chick quality of Kuroiler chickens. The most important incubation factors that affect hatch time, hatchability and hatch window (temperature, humidity, turning, and ventilation) were reviewed. There was a significant influence (P<0.05) of breeder age on hatchability. Also, there was significance (P<0.05) of breeder age on texture of the egg shell; while there was no significance (P > 0.05) between size of egg and hatch window. The performance of Kurolilers at the end of the rearing period depended, in part, on the quality of day-old chicks at placement. The quality of day-old chicks was highly affected by the incubation conditions, hatch time (which determines the time spent in the hatchery under high temperature and humidity), and handling of chicks after hatch.Key words: Egg shell, hatch handling, hatch time, hatch windo