Evidences arising from epidemiological studies as well as from detailed experimental investigations have indicated that there is strong relationship between certain feed ingredients and incidence of fungal infections. Over a 12 month period, a total of two hundred and thirty nine poultry feed samples comprising of two hundred and four commercially prepared and thirty five self compounded feeds were collected from seventy six identified poultry farms in Sokoto metropolis were assessed for their mycological quality. A total of 198 (82.85%) of the samples yielded positive growth for at least one fungal organism which comprises of 163 (79.90%) commercially prepared and 35 (100%) self compounded feeds. The fungi comprises of Aspergillus sp. 136 (49.10%), Penicillium sp. 51 (18.41%), Rhizopus sp. 37 (13.36%), Fusarium sp. 21 (7.58%) and Mucor sp. 32 (11.55%). The frequency of isolation was observed to be highest in rainy season in which out of total 239, 148 (63.52%) fungal isolates were yielded. The presence of the aforementioned fungi in all the feed samples calls for attention in the storage methods employed by the poultry farmers, livestock feed manufacturers, distributors and the retailers.

Agriculture wastes such as rice husk and rice husk ash have investigated as filler in film polypropylene composites. These wastes have potentiality as filler in polymer composites as reinforcement. In this study, the development of film polypropylene filled with rice husk and rice husk ask after preparing as nanofiller as the effect of filler loading has been done. Loading rice husk and rice husk ash into polypropylene matrix of 3 wt%, 6 wt%, and 9 wt% and compared with polypropylene which is not filled. Film polypropylene nanocomposites were analyzed the structure of functional group by FTIR, fracture surface by SEM, water absorption, tensile strength and elongation at break. The presence of silica in film composites has indicated at wavelength 1070 cm -1 in the form of the functional group of Si-O-Si. SEM image has shown that the films are not smooth when silica adding in the film composites, because of the aggregation of silica is not good dispersion in the polypropylene matrix. Water absorption of film polypropylene composites increases when increasing filler loading. The mechanical test has conducted the tensile strength of composites increase by increasing filler loading but elongation at break decrease by increasing filler loading. Polypropylene nanocomposites filled with rice husk ash have good performance than filled with rice husk because of chemical content in the filler loading.

The increasing demand for the Moringa oleifera product needs to be complimented with new improved cultivars with high performance to meet the supply chain of the country. To achieve this, the present study was aimed at studying the variability among 21 ecotype of M. oleifera based on morphology and leaf anatomy to detect promising cultivars for mapping out of future breeding schemes of this important crop. The generated data were analysed with the NTSYS pc software, and the 33 plant accessions were clustered into five groups irrespective of area of collection. Significant variations were observed in the leaf morphological and anatomical parameters of the accessions such that on clustering, region unspecific were observed in clusters I, II and III indicating a high possibility of exchange of genetic information between samples from far and closer geographical locations since they are not completely isolated. From the analysed accessions, 26BDMKT from northwest part of Nigeria forms a single cluster (IV) and gave the highest leaf length measurement of 61.2cm.

No abstract

Energy is required in various forms to do useful work and necessary for the continual improvement in the standard of any society. This study presents the development of a par-boiled batch type rice solar dryer using an indirect mode natural convection solar energy. The dryer was designed and constructed to provide easier, faster and more efficient par-boiled rice drying method. The dryer has the capacity of drying 30 kg of the par boiled rice per batch. The major design features of the dryer include a convenient drying process, uniformity in drying product, protect the quality of the drying products, minimal heat loss from the drying chamber. The developed dryer have generated higher air temperature and consequently lowered the relative humidity which are both conducive to improve the drying rate and lower the moisture content of the dried products. Preliminary performance evaluation of the dryer was also carried out. It was concluded that the dryer could be used for drying par-boiled dry in a batch.