Comparative effects of Varying Rates of Moringa Leaf, Poultry Manure and NPK Fertilizer on the Growth, Yield and Quality of Okra (Abelmoschusesculentus L. Moench)

The fertilizer management practices have not ensure the desired improvement in yield for okra (Abelmoschusesculentus L. Moench) due to differences in fertilizer types. The search continues for nutrient sources that would provide adequate nutrition for the crop on the season. A pot experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria to evaluate the growth and fruit yield responses of okra (Abelmoschusesculentus L. Moench) to the application of air-dried milled moringa leaf (MML), poultry manure (PM) and NPK fertilizer. The MML was applied at 400, 800, and 1200 kg/ha; NPK 15-15-15 at 250 kg/ha and PM at 10 t/ha separately and in all possible combinations in completely randomized design in three replicates. The parameters measured were plant height, stem girth, number of leaves, leaf area, number of fruits and fruit weight. The single treatments differed significantly (P = 0.05) with the combinations of the treatments giving better performance. The 800 kg/ha MML + PM treatment gave the tallest plants (103.33 cm) and followed by single application of PM (102.33 cm). The application of 400 kg/ha MML + PM + NPK produced the highest number of fruits but 800 kg/ha MML + PM + NPK gave the highest fresh fruit (42.70 g) and dry fruit (20.50 g) weight. 800 kg/ha gave best growth performance among MML but 1200 kg/ha gave best yield. This suggests that MML can be used as source of nutrients to grow okra

Development and Preliminary Testing of Metering Equipment for Mechanized Yam Sett Planting

This paper reports the design and laboratory testing of equipment for metering yam setts, as a precursory step in the development of a mechanical yam sett planter. The metering equipment was designed to discharge a yam sett at every 1000 mm of within-row spacing using a ground-wheel drive system. Yam setts flow by gravity from a hopper into a metering drum having an internal helical screw and lift flaps, which discharge the yam setts for planting. Laboratory tests of the prototype gave a metering efficiency of 82.2% with percentages of singles, multiples and skips being 80.5%, 0.2% and 17.7%, respectively. The theoretical field capacity is 0.2 to 0.4 ha h-1 at planting speeds of 2.7 to 5.0 km h-1. The work provides a basis for the future development of a mechanical yam sett planter

Some engineering properties of yam setts from two species of yamsSome engineering properties of yam setts from two species of yams

Yam production is still mainly carried out manually by peasant farmers using yam setts as planting material. Adequate knowledge of their engineering properties is an essential prerequisite for the scientific design and development of equipment for planting and handling yam setts mechanically. Some engineering properties of yam setts from two species of yams, namely white yam (D. rotundata) and yellow yam (D. cayenensis), were investigated at different moisture contents. The properties investigated include sett density, static coefficient of friction on plywood, galvanized steel and formica surfaces, force–deformation behaviour during quasistatic radial compression, stiffness moduli and sett toughness. The coefficient of friction of yam setts of both species on formica was considerably lower than the corresponding coefficients on wood and galvanized steel, respectively. The results further showed that a considerable reduction in the coefficient of friction was achieved (0.41–0.29 and 0.45–0.25 on formica, for D. rotundata and D. cayenensis, respectively) by air-drying freshly prepared setts at ambient room temperature for at least 4 days. Sett density over the drying period ranged between 1020 and 1180 kgm3 for D. rotundata and between 1030 and 1140 kgm3 for D. cayenensis. The stiffness moduli were 3.53 and 5.36 kNm1 for freshly prepared yam setts of D. rotundata and D. cayenensis, respectively. However, sett stiffness generally decreased as sett moisture content decreased. The toughness of freshly prepared yam setts initially increased, attaining a maximum value within the first 4 days of air-drying, and subsequently decreased with further sett drying. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The effects of seasonal variations on household water security and burden of diarrheal diseases among under 5 children in an urban community, Southwest Nigeria

Abstract Background Household water security encompasses water-related factors that pose threats to public health at the household level. It presents a reliable access to water in sufficient quantity and quality towards meeting basic human needs. This study assessed the dynamics of seasonal variations in household water security and the association between household water security and diarrheal disease across dry and wet seasons in an urban settlement in Southwest Nigeria. Methods A panel study design was employed to study 180 households selected using a multistage sampling technique. The selected households were studied during dry and rainy seasons. Household water security was assessed through the application of the all or none principle to 9 indicators associated with household water security. The intensity of water insecurity was also assessed using the nine indicators. The higher the number of indicators a household failed, the higher the intensity of household water insecurity. The association between the intensity of household water insecurity and the burden of diarrheal disease across the seasons was assessed using the Mantel-Haenszel test. Results No household was water-secure in both dry and rainy seasons; however, the intensity of insecurity was more pronounced during the dry season compared with the rainy season. Ninety households (52.0%), had water insecurity intensity scores above fifty percentiles during the dry season while 21 (12.1%) households had a water insecurity score above the 50th percentile during raining season, p < 0.001. The burden of diarrheal disease was significantly higher among households with a water insecurity intensity score above the 50th percentile, 9 (8.1%) compared to households with a water insecurity intensity score below the 50th percentile 7 (3.0%), p = 0.034. There was no statistically significant association between the intensity of water insecurity and diarrheal disease burden across the dry and rainy seasons, p = 0.218. Conclusion The high burden of household water insecurity deserves concerted efforts from all concerned stakeholders, a panacea to an important health threat in the developing world