Agricultural productivity in Africa from 1971 to 2000 is examined using the recently developed metafrontier function technique, for the purpose of studying differences in efficiency and technology gap across different regions of the continent. The results support the view that technology gap plays an important part in explaining the ability of agricultural sectors in one region to compete with agricultural sectors in different regions in Africa. The study has also evidenced that average technical ...

This study was conducted to investigate a cheap and readily available alternative control measure for cassava anthracnose disease causal agent (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides f. sp. manihotis), through the use of antimicrobial crude plant extracts such as neem (Azadirachta indica), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), Ocimum gratissimum and Xylopia aethiopica, on the fungal growth parameters (mycelial growth, sporulation and germ tube development). The extracts at concentration levels of 25, 50, 75 ...

One hundred elite, open-pedigree tropical and subtropical inbreds of maize (Zea mays L.) that had been screened in 60 tropical trials were evaluated as inbreds and in testcrosses in Nigeria. The 24 superior inbreds among these were chosen to create two diallel sets for evaluation of grain yield and agronomic competence. Included were lines bred in Colombia, Florida, Hawaii, India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Carolina, Texas, and Thailand. The two diallels included 78 hybrids of 13 inbreds with yellow ...

Two pot experiments were conducted, one to evaluate the levels of tolerance of fifteen cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] lines to aluminum (Al) application, and the second to determine the effect of phosphorus (P) addition on the performance of Al‐tolerant lines (IT 91K‐93–10, IT 93K‐2046–1, and IT 90K‐2 77–2) and Al‐sensitive lines (IT 86D‐719, IT 90K‐284–2, and IT 89KD‐349) in an Alfisol with Al amendment. Fourteen of the fifteen lines tested showed decreased root biomass (between 19 to 81% ...

This paper reports the preliminary characterization of seed protein fractions from seven varieties of velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens) grown in Nigeria, using sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE). Three of the most abundant polypeptides, with approximate Mr of 23, 26 and 30 kDa, respectively, were further separated by preparative native-PAGE. N-terminal sequencing revealed the presence of the consensus sequence DDREPV-DT–PL that is also present in the soybean Kunitz-type ...

The prospects for development of microbial control in West Africa are bright, with many stakeholders in plant protection both within and beyond the region becoming increasingly interested. To date however, on the West African market, there are only two microbial products available, and many opportunities remain to be fully explored. Apart from commercially oriented pathways, alternative methods of pathogen propagation and implementation are being studied, to serve the needs of those agricultural ...

Stratifying a broad target growing area of a crop into different ecological zones has been an important first step in plant breeding. To cater for the diverse maize growing environments in West and Central Africa, germplasm development and testing at IITA have been targeted to four agroecological zones broadly defined based on experiences and knowledge of researchers. This study was carried out to group maize testing locations with similar climatic features, and then use the groups to produce a ...

Repeated sampling of rural maize stores in Benin was conducted to evaluate published parameters of a sequential sampling plan for a negative binomial distribution to determine pest status for Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) and Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky. A computer program was used to rerandomize the data and evaluate the effects, in terms of average sample number and error rates, of different sampling plan parameter values. With respect to P. truncatus, lower and upper thresholds of 0.2 and ...

In low-input land-use systems combining timber trees with shade-tolerant understorey crops, it is essential to establish the effects of tree density upon weeds and the contribution of weeds to competition and nutrient cycling. Adjusting tree density may alter weed competition for light, water and nutrients, the storage of nutrients by weeds through growth and the release of nutrients via decomposition of slashed weed residues. The effects are reported of (1) two timber stand densities (TSDs) and, ...

Lepidopterous stem borers were monitored on plots of maize, Zea mays, and elephant grass, Pennisetum purpureum (Moench), during two consecutive cropping seasons and the off-season at two forest margin locations, Nkolbisson and Minkomeyos, in Cameroon. Busseola fusca (Fuller), Sesamia calamistis (Hampson) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were found on both hosts. In addition, Cryptophlebia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Mussidia ...