The trial reported herein investigated the use of maggot meal as a replacement for fish meal in a cassava products-based layers diet. Old laying hens (/* weeks in lay) made up of two hybrids (Isa Brown and Black Nera) were randomly allotted to five iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets such that each dietary treatment was replicated three times with two birds/replicate. All the diets contained whole cassava root meal (WCRM,-3*.,ῌ.,..0 g/kg) as source of energy with soybean meal (SBM) and cassava leaf meal (CLM) (plant protein sources) supplying /*ῌ and ,/ῌ of the total dietary protein respectively. The experimental treatment consists of fish meal (FM) and maggot meal (MM) as animal protein sources supplying the remaining ,/ῌ of the total dietary protein. Additionally, in diet + (FM and MM supplied ,/.* and *ῌ of dietary animal protein respectively), diet , (FM and MM supplied +2.1/ and 0.,/ῌ of dietary animal protein respectively), diet-(FM and MM supplied +,./* and +,./*ῌ of dietary animal protein respectively), diet. (FM and MM supplied 0.,/ῌ and +2.1/ῌ of dietary animal protein respectively) while in diet / (FM and MM supplied * and ,/.*ῌ of dietary animal protein respectively). The diets were fed over an eight-week period. Average daily feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were not significantly a#ected (P῍*.*/) by dietary treatment although breed of laying bird significantly a#ected (Pῌ*.*/) these indices. Hen-day egg production was significantly influenced (Pῌ*.*/) by dietary treatments. Of all egg quality characteristics investigated, only shell thickness and shell weight were significantly (Pῌ*.*/) a#ected by dietary treatment and breed. In conclusion, the results of this experiment indicated that maggot meal holds promise as a replacement for fish meal in cassava root-cassava leaf-based diets as it could replace /*ῌ of the dietary animal protein supplied by fish meal without deleterious e#ects on egg production and shell strength.

An experiment to investigate the effect that different drying methods would have on the quality and quantity of oil from water melon (Citrilus lanatus) seeds was conducted. The water melon seeds were removed from the pod and washed. The sample was weighed and divided into two equal parts; one part was subjected to sun drying while the other part was subjected to oven drying (at a temperature of 30 o C). Drying by sun as expected was gradual as compared to the oven drying method which was faster and more rapid. The dried seeds (sun-dried or oven-dried) were de-husked, dry-milled into fine crumbs using hand milling machine. The powdered product from the mill was then subjected to oil extraction using hexane as solvent. Results show that there was no significant difference in the quantity of oil obtained from either of the samples. The sun-dried sample yielded 56% of oil/100g of seeds, compared to the oven-dried samples which yielded 57% of oil/100g of seeds. However, it was observed that Free Fatty Acid (FFA) and Acid values were higher in oven-dried sample relative to the sun-dried sample; whereas other chemical properties were not affected. Free Fatty Acid value for the oven-dried sample was 6.4% and 2.4% for the sun-dried sample. This is an important variable in considering the quality of oil because the lower the FFA, the better the quality of the oil. Analysis also revealed that the properties of oil extracted from both samples fall within that of non-drying oil. Crude protein in the seed was 26 % which compared favourably with high protein seeds and nuts like cowpea (22.7%) soybeans (35%). This implies that the oil samples are edible to humans. The high protein content of the seed coupled with a fairly high concentration distribution of the Amino acids makes the seed suitable for fortification of foods while the oils can serve as a good supplement in animal feed formulation. Oil from the sun-dried sample will however be preferable because of its low acid value though the extracted oil from the two samples still needs to be refined. Meanwhile, the oil samples may not be used as alkyl resin for manufacturing of paints or bar soap due to their low saponification values. Large quantity of potassium hydroxide will certainly be required to prepare soap from these oils.

The effects of supplementing a basal diet of guineagrass (Panicum maximum cv Ntchisi) (diet 5) with Stylosanthes guianensis (diet 1), Lablab purpureus (diet 2), Aeschynomene histrix (diet 3) and Centrosema pubescens (diet 5) on West African dwarf goats were evaluated. Parameters measured were feed intake, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance. Voluntary intake (g/kg W0.75/day) of dry matter (DM) 138.73, crude protein (CP) 25.86, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (96.29) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (65.73) of diet 1 were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the other diets with legume supplements. The feed intake of goats on diet 5 was lower (P < 0.05), having corresponding values of DM (108.21), CP (17.33), NDF (77.68), and ADF (53.55). Weight gain (g/day) differed (P < 0.05) in goats placed on the diets. The lowest weight gain was obtained in diet 5. The digestibilities of DM, CP, ADF and acid detergent lignin (ADL) differed (P < 0.05) in diet 1–5 except for NDF digestibility. Nitrogen balance (g/kg W 0.75/day) ranged from 0.29 in diet 5 to 0.83 in diet 2 (P < 0.05). Similarly, nitrogen retention percentage was highest in diet 2 (35.17), with the lowest value in diet 5 (20.71). It could be concluded that a diet consisting of Panicum maximum with Lablab purpureus supplementation gave the highest performance in weight gain, nitrogen digestibility and nitrogen utilization. However, any of the herbaceous legumes in this study would lead to increased productivity of ruminant livestock.

No abstract

Experiments were conducted in the laboratory, greenhouse and on farmers' fields to determine, the potassium (K) supplying capacity of some soils in Ogun State, Nigeria, using equilibrium parameters as measured by quantity, intensity and activity indices. The result showed that the potassium status of the soils varied widely. Total K varied from 14.2 to 104 cmol kg -1 in the green house soils and 46.05 to 89.