Guinea Savannah Ecological Zone Research Articles

Effect of pre emergence herbicides on weed control and performance of cowpea in Samaru

Field experiments were carried out in 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons at the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria- Nigeria located on latitude11 0 11’, longitude7 0 38’ and 686m above sea level in Northern Guinea Savannah Ecological Zone to evaluate the effect of pre emergence herbicides on growth and yield parameters of cowpea. In this study, different pre emergence herbicides were compared for their efficiency on weed control of various weed species under rain- fed conditions in Nigeria. The different herbicides used are, S-metolachlor 960 EC @ the rate of 3.5 litre ha -1 , pendimenthaline 33% (w/v) EC @ the rate of 3.5 liter ha -1 and Butalachlor E.C at the rate of 3.5Lha - 1 . There was significant yield increase due to Application of pendimenthaline at 3.5 L ha - 1 + Hand weeding of cowpea at 6WAS. There was significantly superior performances in terms of plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant and grain yield ha 1 . However Leaf area per plant and 100 – grain weight were not significantly influenced by the treatments. Of all the weed control methods, chemical weed control using pendimenthaline at 3.5 L ha - 1 + Hand weeding at 6WAS, significantly gave better results than the other treatments on both growth and yield parameters. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jas.v8i2.5746 The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2013, vol.8, no2 p.76-81

Ghanaian caregivers’ opinions on feeding 2‐ to 5‐year old children varies by agro‐ecological zone

Childhood malnutrition is high in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Knowing caregivers’ opinions about feeding children may aid in designing effective nutrition interventions. Data on caregiver feeding opinions, and diets of 2‐ to 5‐y‐old children were collected from 608 caregivers living in three ecological zones (EZ) of Ghana. This analysis compared caregivers’ feeding opinions across three ecological zones. About 27.8% of caregivers believed that their children needed to be fed only 2 to 3 times/d. Reasons for adult supervision during child meal times, feeding diverse foods, and prioritizing a child to receive animal source foods (ASF), and the perceived child benefits of ASF differed across EZ (P<0.001). Caregivers’ opinions in agreement with recommended child feeding practices were scored as good opinion otherwise their opinion scored as poor. Children of caregivers with good feeding opinion scores consumed more diverse ASF compared to those of caregivers with poor opinions (5.0 ± 2.1 vs. 4.6 ± 2.1; P=0.026). Age and education of caregivers positively predicted better feeding opinions (P<0.01); living in the Guinea Savannah ecological zone was associated with poor feeding opinions. A key component to improving child nutrition is to understand the opinions held by caregivers in order to address them adequately within the specific locale of the caregiver and child. Support: GL‐CRSP, funded in part by US‐AID, PCE‐G‐00–98

The Implications of Rainfall Variability on Cattle and Milk Production in Jakiri Sub-Division, North West Region, Cameroon

The rapidly increasing demand for beef and dairy products especially milk in an environment that has become super sensitive to climate vagaries as a result of climate change and variability have no doubt become a topical issue in today’s man-environment relationship debate. Cattle production in Jakiri is an activity that derives its mere existence from the primary resource base of rangelands (pasture) and water availability. Intra as well as inter-annual variability and trends of rainfall thus play an important role in determining this resource base and water availability on which cattle production depends in this area. Furthermore, the quantity of milk produced significantly depends on the availability of this resource base to the cows that are used for crude milk harvesting. This study therefore sets out to examine the extent to which rainfall variability has been affecting cattle and milk production which sustains a good number of livelihoods in the area. Being located within the Montane Guinea savannah ecological zone of Cameroon, the study makes use of rainfall data for a period of 33 years and commercial milk production figures since its introduction in Jakiri in 1998. These recorded data were complemented with field surveys, focus group discussions with the graziers and the milk production farmers, field interviews with veterinary experts and secondary data. Although rainfall and milk production relationships on annual and dry season bases do not seem statistically significant, they however do so, on wet season basis. The increasing variability of rainfall especially during the dry season significantly necessitate the transhumant operation into the neighbouring river valleys and flood plains. Given this intricate relationship between rainfall and cattle production as well as other threats to the full functioning of rangelands, the study proposes recommendations that if implemented, can boost cattle and milk production that sustains the lives of people.

GROWTH AND YIELD OF OKRA AS INFLUENCED BY LIVE MULCH IN SAMARU, ZARIA

Two field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of theInstitute for Agricultural Research; Ahmadu Bello University Zaria located on latitude11011’N, longitude 7038’E and 686m above sea level in the Northern Guinea SavannahEcological Zone of Nigeria in 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons. The objective of thestudy was to compare the yield of okra grown under different weed managementstrategies. The experiment consisted of four treatments namely: control, cucumber,watermelon and pumpkin. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomised blockdesign (RCBD) with three replications. From the results so far obtained, pumpkinsignificantly gave higher mean values in both growth and yield characters measured,whereas the control treatment, significantly gave lower mean values of both growth andyield parameters throughout the period of assessment.

Agronomic performance of improved Cowpea varieties under natural infestation with Alectra vogelii (benth.) in the northern guinea savannah of Nigeria

Field trials were conducted over three years at Samaru in the northern Guinea savannah ecological zone of Nigeria to evaluate the performance of 20 improved cowpea varieties under conditions of natural infestation by a parasitic weed, Alectra vogelii (Benth.). Grain yield ranged from 695 to 2043 kg ha-1.The best yielding varieties were IT95K-1072-57 and IT97K-499-35. These varieties also hosted very low number of Alectra shoots, suggesting that they are resistant to it. In addition to high grain yield, both varieties produced high fodder yield, making them to be dual purpose varieties. They are therefore ideal for the semi-arid zone where livestock production is an integral part of the farming system and Alectra is a major constraint to the attainment of high cowpea yield. Alectra did not emerge on two of the varieties (IT95K-1090-12 and IT97K-818-35), indicating that they are highly resistant to the weed, but these varieties were among the poorest yielders. They may, however, be good sources of Alectra resistance in cowpea breeding programmes. Four varieties, IT95K-1380, IT93K-273-2-1, IT95K-222-5 and IT93K-573-5 supported high number of Alectra shoots and were therefore highly susceptible to its parasitism.

The Status of Kersting's Groundnut (Macrotyloma Geocarpum [Harms] Marechal and Baudet)

Kersting's groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum) is a rare and underexploited leguminous crop cultivated in parts of West Africa, which now faces extinction. A study was conducted in northern Ghana, which falls within the Guinea Savannah ecological zone, to establish the status of the crop, its production constraints and prospects for its future development or improvement. Sixteen types of Kersting's groundnut were collected which could be distinguished by three seed colours. It is predominantly grown on a small scale (0.1–0.5 acre) as a sole crop, but is often intercropped with other food crops. Pest and disease are not a significant constraint in the cultivation of Kersting's groundnut. Over-tasked farmers harvest it late when the soil has hardened, and this has been the main constraint to its large-scale production. Variation in seed size exists and could be used for crop improvement.

Environmentally-suspended sediment production of the Nasia River Basin, Northern Ghana

Rivers constitute an important source of surface water supply for most sectors in the world. In areas with single rainfall maximum, as in the north of Ghana, the rivers are normally intermittent or ephemeral with only few perennial ones. The Nasia River Basin is the drainage basin of the left bank tributary of the White Volta within the Guinea Savannah Ecological Zone and lies in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study assessed the level of suspended sediment produced in the Nasia River Basin. Hydrological and meteorological data and water samples were used for the study. Average suspended sediment yield (33 years) in the basin was 19.90 t/km2/yr. With mean annual runoff of 439.13m3/s, 322.43 t/yr suspended sediment is discharged into the White Volta from the Nasia River. Mean suspended sediment concentration and turbidity values for three months of continuous study were 423.86 mg/l and 406.19 NTU respectively. The mean discharged suspended sediment of 0.13 kg/s, 0.25 kg/s and 1.31 kg/s were recorded for April, May and June 2007 respectively for the basin. These levels of suspended sediment deposited in the river bed reduce the carrying capacity of this water system. The study realised that catchment characteristics have a great influence on suspended sediment production in the Nasia River Basin. The reduction of the level of erosion and suspended sediment transport and deposition in the river bed is therefore very important. KEY DESCRIPTORS: River Basin, Drainage System, Guinea Savannah, Suspended Sediment, Turbidity.

Economcis of cattle fattening with crop residues in Northern Guinea Savannah ecological zone of Nigeria

This study was conducted to investigate the economics of Cattle fattening with crop residues in Northern Guinea Savannah Ecological Zone of Nigeria, Data were collected from 100 respondents between January to December, 1999 using simple random sampling technique. Interview method was employed. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, farm budgeting technique and regression analysis. The results showed that the net income was N6642 and the rate of Capital turnover was 1.27. Multiple regression Analysis showed a coefficient of multiple determination of 89.3% (P<0.05). Reduction in the cost of feeds was suggested for enhanced profit maximization.   Key words: Cattle, fattening, crop residues, profit

Incidence and Severity of Common Viral and Fungal Diseases of Dry Season Tomato Crop in a Southern Guinea Savannah Agro-Ecology

The incidence and severity of common fungal and viral diseases affecting dry season tomato crop were determined on the tomato field of the Teaching and Research farm of the University of Ilorin, situated in the Southern Guinea savannah ecological zone of Nigeria. Seeds were sown in January in the nursery and seedlings were transplanted to the field, inJanuary 2005 and 2006 at the age of 4 weeks. The growth period of tomato was partitioned into three stages viz: seedling/vegetative stage (1), pre-flowering stage (2), and flowering/fruiting stage (3), during which the incidence of fungal, viral or mixed fungal and viral diseases wereinvestigated. The aim was to identify the relative prevalence of the disease categories for each growth stages. The results showed plants in the earliest stage of growth with the lowest rate of infection. Nevertheless, viral disease incidence was the significantly highest (22.7%) at this stage. The incidence of double infections increased gradually from the second growth stagereaching 29% in the third stage. Comparatively, infection with virus alone in the third stage was 28.5%, while fungus alone was 0. 59%. The highest disease severity was in plants that were mixed infected by the two categories of pathogens. Such plants had significant retardation ofgrowth (height and mean number of leaves/ leaflets) and yield attributes such as the number of fruits produced per plant compared to singly infected and apparently healthy plants.Keywords: Disease incidence, dry season, tomato, Southern Guinea savannah ecology

Critical Period of Weed Interference in Rainfed and Irrigated Tomatoes in Nigerian Savanna

Field trials were conducted to assess the critical period of weed interference in tomato on the farm of the Institute of Agricultural Research, Samaru (11011\'N, 07038\'E) in the Northern Guinea Savannah ecological zone of Nigeria in 1989 and 1990 wet seasons and at the Irrigation Research Station of the Institute of Agricultural Research, Kadawa (110N39\'N,08002\'E) in the Sudan Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria in 1987/88 and 1988/89 dry seasons. Each trial consisted of two sets of treatments. One set of treatments consisted of plots initially kept weed-free for 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks after transplanting by weeding and with hand hoes and subsequently kept unweeded until harvest. The other set of treatments consisted of plots initially kept weed infested for corresponding periods and subsequently kept weed-free until harvest. Two treatments of weed infestation and weed-free throughout the crop growth were also included in checks. In all the trials, weed interference beyond 6 weeks after transplanting (WAT) significantly depressed various crop growth parameters in the tomato fruit yield compared with the crop kept weed-free through out its life cycle. The crop was most critically affected by weed interference between 3 and 6 WAT.In order to obtain tomato fruit yield comparable to that of weed-free check, it was required to keep the crop weed-free for 6weeks after transplanting and beyond. Weed infestation throughout the crop life cycle resulted in about 40 to 60% reduction in potential tomato fruit yield compared with the appropriate maximum obtained in trials. JARD Vol. 2 2003: pp. 32-41

Effect of intra-row spacing and weeding frequency on the yield performance of sesame/cowpea intercrop

Field experiments were conducted simultaneously at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching and Research Farm, Bauchi, and Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme experimental sites, Bauchi (Lat. 100 17\'N 90 49’ E, and 609m above sea level), in the Northern Guinea savannah ecological zone of Nigeria during the 2002 wet season to study the response of sesame/ cowpea mixture to weeding frequency and intra-row spacings. The treatments were laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications. The result showed that the number of capsules per plant, 100-seed weight, capsules and grain yield per hectare of sesame were significantly (P<0.05) increased by one weeding frequency only at location I. The parameters were not significantly affected by weeding frequency in location II. The capsules length, number of capsules per plant, capsules and grain yield were significantly (P<0.05) affected by intra-row spacings. The capsules and grain yield of sesame increased significantly (P<0.05) with decreasing intra-row spacing and conversely capsules length and number decreased with decreasing intra-row spacing. The number of pods of cowpea significantly (P<0.05) increased by two weeding frequencies at location I and pod yield per hectare was also increased significantly by twice weeding at location II. All the other parameters such as pod lands, seeds per pod, 100-seed weight and grain yield per hectare were not significantly affected by the treatments. The interaction between the intra-row spacings and weeding frequency were significant in affecting number of seed per capsules and 100-seed weight of sesame at location I, and number of pods and seed per pod of cowpea at location II. Intra-row spacing of 30cm and twice weedings produced the highest number of seed per capsules (68.2) and 20cm intra-row spacings with twice weeding produced the highest 100- seed weight. However, 30cm intra-row spacings with one weeding had highest number of pods (24.3) in cowpea plant and also 30cm intra-row spacing with twice weedings produced the highest seeds per pod in cowpea.

Nitrogen and Weed Management in Maize Intercropped with Upland Rice

ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted during the 1994 and 1995 wet seasons on the research farm of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Samaru (11°11'N, 0.7°E 680 m) located in the northern Guinea Savannah ecological zone of Nigeria. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three levels of nitrogen (0, 60 and 120 KgN/ha) in the main plot and ten periods of weed removal/infestation in the sub-plot. The productivity of both maize and rice was enhanced by increased application of nitrogen fertilizer in both years in all the plots that were kept weed free from the initial 6 weeks after sowing (WAS) up to harvest. Weed infestation for the initial 3 WAS enhanced the productivity of these crops. However, there was no significant response of nitrogen application in the plots that were kept weed-free for only the initial 3 WAS and those weeds infested throughout the crop cycle.