This present research was performed to evaluate the effects of three leafy vegetable diets [bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), fluted pumpkin leaf (Telfairia occidentalis) and pawpaw leaf (Carica papaya)] on the growth performance of Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica). A total of ninety (90) A. fulica were used for the study. Thirty (30) snails each were subjected to three different dietary treatments in three replicates of 10 snails per replicate and fed with the fresh leaves of these vegetables over a period of ...

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is the most important source of plant protein consumed in Nigeria with major supplies coming from the northern part of the country. However, reduction in supplies due to insurgency resulted in sharp increases in price, especially in Southwest Nigeria where cowpea is relished in different delicacies. Sustainable production increase in suitable Southwest agro-ecologies depends on suitability of cultivated varieties and production practices of the farmers. A study was conducted to ...

Myanmar is a country in rapid economic and political transition, with opportunities emerging for its smallholders to benefit from current economic growth. However many smallholders are trapped in semi-subsistence agriculture, disconnected from markets. Commercialisation can increase farm incomes, and - through the multiplier effect - lead to wider pro-poor growth in the rural economy. However, there are many constraints to commercialisation that prevent this process from occurring. While literature on constraints ...

Jelly seed is a major challenge in mango production leading to enormous losses in the value chain. This internal fruit disorder is characterised by disintegration of cells, consistency of jelly and broken cells. Calcium plays an important role in enhancing tissue stability and firmness thus reducing cell disintegration. A two-year field study was conducted in Embu County, Kenya using ‘Van Dyke’ cultivar trees of approximately 10 years old. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of varied sources of ...

A household survey and focus group discussions were conducted to quantify the general determinants of an index-based crop insurance adoption under limited liabilities in Burundi, and specifically the effect of existing Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The survey sample comprised of 40 crop insurance adopters, 40 non-adopters and 40 drop-outs in Bukirasazi and Makebuko communes of Gitega province. The results indicated that saving money (by VSLAs) for upcoming premium payments and regularly VSLA ...

The SAVA region in northeastern Madagascar is the largest vanilla producing area globally. Here, we investigated the role of animal husbandry (AH) for income diversification of small-scale vanilla farmers. To do this, 300 household heads were interviewed about livestock ownership, management and marketing. This information was complemented by data from 1800 households (HHs) on involvement in vanilla production (VP) and AH. Throughout the region, 83 % of HHs produced vanilla and 84 % kept livestock. Chicken-keeping ...

The Gayo Highlands offer different indigenous edible fruit species (IEFs) used by the rural community, essentially to provide products such as fruits, oil, medicine, nuts, and fodder. In recent times, these IEFs are being threatened by over-exploitation and biodiversity loss. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the diversity of IEFs and evaluate its contribution to the enhancement of the rural community income in the Gayo Highlands region. The plant materials were randomly collected from nine villages in three ...

Phyto-additives in poultry diets enhance growth, feed eciency and product quality and minimise the possible risk of residues from chemical additives. There are reports on the use of noni (Morinda citrifolia) fruit powder as phytoadditive in poultry diets but information on the eect of fruit ripening is scanty. Hence, this study compared the eect of unripe and ripe noni fruit owder on broiler performance. A control diet without and 4 diets containing two levels (0.25 and 0.5 %) unripe and ripe fruit powder were fed ...

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) provides multiple products that are beneficial to human health. In addition, the plant is also used to combat desertification. In contrast to the vast ecological, agronomic and nutritional literature on this species, little is known about its economic and marketing aspects, particularly in Central Asia. We therefore analysed the private and social competitiveness of sea buckthorn farming in 21 households of Bulgan county of Khovd province in Mongolia. The results show that half ...

Cucumis melo is one of the most appreciated and consumed vegetables in the world, however, producing areas have been suffering from increased salinity in irrigation water. Therefore, accesses of melon, from the germplasm bank of the Federal Rural Semi-Arid University (UFERSA), were tested for salinity and the physiological responses of the seedlings were evaluated. For the 24 accesses of C. melo, salinity of 0.06 and 3.45 dS m-1 was applied. For this, four subsamples of 25 seeds per access were used, which were seeded ...