Agriculture

The use of molecular and genomic techniques namely: nucleic acid, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE); terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have revolutionized ways of assaying biodiversity. This paper reviews their contributions to knowledge of soil microbial diversity.

England is as old as Methuselah. Historians can tell better. Nevertheless, agricultural historians can bear me witness that English agriculture has come of age. Under conventional conditions a generation is equivalent to one century. Therefore, eight generations require eight centuries. The question is what has made an island country conspicuous in the agricultural map of the world. Let us take a look .

No one can imagine an agricultural revolution without pesticides, in addition to fertilisation and mechanisation. The world should have been more crude without food or probably highly diminished in population due to chronic competition for scarce and raw food. There is population boom due to quicker and more dependable access to food and medicare. The economic growth of citizens and nations have depended primarily on agriculture. Part of the aftermath of human civilisation is chemical and pesticide contamination/pollution. The danger lies on the pollution level of these substances in our food chain and the environment. This paper reviews the place of pesticides in crop management, environmental implications and challenges for the future. It proffers acceptance of opinions of major stakeholders: scientists, investors, farmers, government, policy makers, regulators, health professionals, environmental experts/carers, regulators and recommends the use of contaminant level pesticide in contrast to pollutant level pesticide in crop management, pending the discovery of alternatives to synthetic pesticides, including botanic or bio-pesticides, to feed a hungry world.

The use of environmental models requires a mathematical turn of mind. Amongst the models that have been tested in various ecosystem and cropping system namely: CENTURY 4.0, RothC, CERES, NCSOIL, SUNDAIL and STICS; the CENTURY 4.0 have been extensively modified and configured especially for carbon and nitrogen cycling. This work presents the step by step process especially in amending the FERT.100 file, weather and management information, parametisation and events scheduling and running to equilibrium. It will be relevant to beginners who would like to test the model in their region.

Sciences and technologies in the era of globalisation have gone extra mile in making non patented data and information accessible and most often free of charge to fellow scientists, technologists and the entire public. For civilised worlds they are vital for national and economic planning. In the era of internet, developed as world wide web; information and communication technologies have assisted researchers, scientists, publishers and consumers share on global commodity of the brain, mind and soul. It is on this note that this paper delves into detailed field and laboratory data generated on soil respiration-temperature-moisture relationships as an addition to global data bank. They are very crucial for comparative studies and for developing networking geared towards abating greenhouse gases emissions holocaust. The world is sitting on a keg of gunpowder that is neglected in pursuit of non-nuclear proliferation, nuclear accident and nuclear war. Already, there are global warming and climatic change wars raging all over the planet. Let us develop and share data and information that can warn the government and citizenry on scientific and technological dangers of the world that are similar to nuclear holocaust. It is a problem of developed and undeveloped worlds as nature knows no boundary akin to territory boundary protections.

Tree height-diameter relationship can be used as an important input component in forest growth and yield models and description of stand dynamics. Five non-linear growth functions were fitted to tree height-diameter data of 21 years old Gmelina arborea plantation in Ibadan, South west Nigeria. The data consisted of three sets: 2004, 2008 and 2011 on total tree height and diameter at breast height (dbh). According to the model statistics, the five growth functions fitted the data equally well, but resulted in different asymptote estimates. Modified exponential fit was observed to give the best fit for the three data sets based on least square error, coefficient of determination and significance. The models are: Ht = (R2 = 36.21%), Ht = (R2 = 37.53%) and Ht = (R2 = 34.74%) for 2004, 2008 and 2011 data sets. The predicted values follow the same nonlinear pattern and formed close to the line of best fit without much outlier. The result of this study revealed that the ability of dbh in determining height is not strong enough based on the model’s goodness of fit and the model’s ability for predictive purposes. Hence, more variables such as age, crown area and soil fertility were recommended to be incorporated in future prediction of the tree height in the study area. Also, the potential tree height-diameter equations should be evaluated and validated for their predictive capabilities across a range of tree diameters. This useful information can help forest researchers and managers to select and apply the appropriate models.

The study was conducted to assess possibility of predicting body weight on the basis of body measurement in crossbred Yoruba Ecotype in order to provide further information leading to their improvement. The genotype was made up of Yoruba Ecotype Chicken (FEC) and Dominant Black (DB). Mating type resulted from the crossing were (DB x DB), (DB x YE) and (YE x YE). Data were collected on Body Weight (BG), Breast Girth (BG), Body Length (BDL), Kneel Length (KL), Neck Length (NL), Shank Length (SL), Wing Length (WL) and Beak Length (BKL) were measured individually on adult progenies resulted from the crosses. The measurements were taken with aid of weighing scale and simple measuring tape. The General Linear Model (GLM) of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) was used for the analysis of the data generated. Coefficient of determination (R2) for all the traits were generally positive and significant (P < 0.05), highest value was obtained for DB x DB followed by DB x YE and least value was obtained for YE x YE. The value ranged from 0.88 – 0.98 in DB x DB, 0.36 – 0.97 in DB x YE and 0.86 – 0.95 in YE x YE. BG gave highest coefficient of determination across the genotypes; BG (0.98, 0.97, 0.95), followed by SL (0.94, 0.97, 0.95) and least value were observed in BKL (0.56, 0.365 and 0.46) for (DB x DB), (DB x YE) and (YE x YE) respectively. Conclusively, the result indicated that significant amount of improvement can be achieved through continuous selection and breeding of the genotypes involved in this study

The phenotypic correlations among egg weight, external and internal egg quality traits of two commercial egg type chickens, Isa brown and Harco black chickens were determined. A total number of 200 point of lay hens of 100 each of Isa brown and Harco black were used for the study. Data were collected on egg weight, egg length, egg content, shell weight, shell thickness, yolk weight, albumen height, albumen weight, yolk height, yolk length and yolk colour, from 960 eggs consisting 40 each of the strain analyzed on weekly bases for 12 weeks. Results shows a significant (P<0.05) effect between the measured parameters and the two strain of hens. Isa brown eggs had higher values of egg length (54.12mm), egg content (45.48g), shell weight (4.68g) and albumen length (5.75mm) than its counterpart Harco black eggs. The association between egg weight and other egg biometrical traits were found to be positive and very highly significant (r = 0.31- 0.80; p<0.0001) while other egg parameters were either positively or inversely correlated with each other for Isa brown strain. The relationship between egg weight and other egg biometrical traits were found to be very highly significant (p<0.0001; r = 0.73) while other egg variables were also either positively or inversely correlated with each other for Harco black strain .It can be concluded that Isa brown hens eggs was better than Harco black hens in respect to egg length, egg content, shell weight and albumen length while the phenotypic correlation coefficient results can be used in selection criteria. 

The diameter distribution models of a natural stand in Shasha forest reserve (1.44ha permanent sample plots), South West Nigeria, were modeled with Beta distribution function. The data consisted of dbh measurement of all the trees with dbh ? 10cm. The data set for 1960 was used to model the diameter distribution while 1976 data set was used for model validation which should not be significance to the observed values. Simple linear regression equation was used to fit the Beta function/models. The best model from all the parameters was selected based on least values of standard deviation error, significance and high coefficient of determination. The result revealed that 68 tree species were currently available in the study area. The maximum dbh was observed in 1960 data set (164.91cm) while the least was observed in 2011 data set (81cm). The best model fit was (a+b) = 0.80lnDq – 200.79 (R2 = 61.31%, SE = 24.78 and p = 0.0003). The results of the models validation revealed that there were no significant differences between the observed and the predicted value of the parameters. Models developed are therefore recommended for application in the projection of diameter distribution for proper management.

The formation of ECOWAS was seen as the beginning of a new era in the history of economic cooperation in West Africa. Its overall aim was to promote cooperation and integration, with a view to establishing an economic and monetary union as a means of stimulating economic growth and development in West Africa. Since the emergence of ECOWAS, the organization has been saddled with a lot of challenges and intra-regional crises without much economic integration being achieved. The paper sets to examine why ECOWAS lags behind in its quest to integrating the economies of West African region. Basically, the study is primarily qualitative. The findings reveal that ECOWAS that needs serious reforms in order to maximally benefit from integration mechanisms the way other regions have done. The prospects are great. The paper concludes by affirming that the current economic turmoil afflicting the region may be seen as a temporary setback, and that a new ECOWAS with a new set of leaders will emerge to realize the dreams of the founding fathers of one larger political and economic union.