ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Effect of socio-cultural issues on consumer buying behaviour of Ghanaian cuisines.

Producers are burdened with consumers switching from their products to alternative products in search of desired satisfaction. This has become a wake-up call for most practitioners and academia to understand the role culture plays in consumer buying behaviour. The study assessed the effect of socio-cultural issues on consumer buying behaviour of Ghanaian cuisines. The population comprised of consumers who consume local cuisines. The study was conducted on a sample of 384 consumers out of which 272 responses representing 70.83% response rate were successfully received. Data was collected using questionnaire. Convenience and purposive sampling techniques were adopted in selecting respondents. The data was analyzed using IBM Statistical Packages for Social Sciences of which regression analysis was conducted to establish the relationship between socio-cultural issues and consumer buying behaviour of local cuisine. Taste, safety, prestige, pleasure and enjoyment have been found to be motivation to the consumption of local cuisines. Findings also revealed that, consumers perceive local foods as been of higher quality, safer to consumer, taste good, more appealing and have lower prices compared to foreign cuisines. The regression output found sociocultural factors of family, social class, religion, membership group and culture impacting positively on consumer buying behaviour of local cuisine. However, social class and culture were found to be statistically significant making unique contribution to the prediction of consumer buying behaviour of local cuisine. The study recommends that local food vendors should use good pricing strategies to enable all categories of consumers to afford local food and should also take consumers cultural concerns seriously to enable them meet the cultural needs of all consumers.

Source: KNUST
Effect of socio-cultural issues on consumer buying behaviour of Ghanaian cuisines.

Producers are burdened with consumers switching from their products to alternative products in search of desired satisfaction. This has become a wake-up call for most practitioners and academia to understand the role culture plays in consumer buying behaviour. The study assessed the effect of socio-cultural issues on consumer buying behaviour of Ghanaian cuisines. The population comprised of consumers who consume local cuisines. The study was conducted on a sample of 384 consumers out of which 272 responses representing 70.83% response rate were successfully received. Data was collected using questionnaire. Convenience and purposive sampling techniques were adopted in selecting respondents. The data was analyzed using IBM Statistical Packages for Social Sciences of which regression analysis was conducted to establish the relationship between socio-cultural issues and consumer buying behaviour of local cuisine. Taste, safety, prestige, pleasure and enjoyment have been found to be motivation to the consumption of local cuisines. Findings also revealed that, consumers perceive local foods as been of higher quality, safer to consumer, taste good, more appealing and have lower prices compared to foreign cuisines. The regression output found sociocultural factors of family, social class, religion, membership group and culture impacting positively on consumer buying behaviour of local cuisine. However, social class and culture were found to be statistically significant making unique contribution to the prediction of consumer buying behaviour of local cuisine. The study recommends that local food vendors should use good pricing strategies to enable all categories of consumers to afford local food and should also take consumers cultural concerns seriously to enable them meet the cultural needs of all consumers

Source: KNUST
Effect of Soil Amendments and Botanicals on the Performance of Spring Onions (Allium Fistulosum L.) and Control of Onion Thrips (Thrips Tabaci)

Two field experiments were conducted during the 2009 minor rainy season and 2010 major rainy season at the experimental field of the Department of Horticulture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi to study the effect of soil amendments and botanicals on the growth, yield and quality (crude protein, crude fibre, fat and ash) of spring onions (Allium fistulosum L) and the efficacy of the botanicals in controlling onion thrips (Thrips tabaci). The experiment was a 3 x 3 factorial laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments consisted of three types of soil amendments (Poultry manure, Green manure and No manure) and three types of botanicals (Moringa leaf extract, Neemazal and No botanical). The number of leaves, number of daughter shoots, plant height and yield were the parameters studied in both experiments. In the minor season, no significant differences were observed in the parameters studied as affected by soil amendments, except plant height at harvest, where poultry manure and green manure treated plots produced taller plants (40.81cm) and (39.88cm) respectively than the control (no manure) (34.85cm). Botanicals did not significantly influence growth and yield of spring onion in the first experiment, however, the number of leaves damaged by thrips was significantly reduced by the botanicals, where neemazal was the most effective in the control of onion thrips against leaf damage. The highest net benefit of GH¢ 6600 was obtained by poultry manure plots sprayed with neemazal while the lowest net benefit of GH¢ 2430 was obtained by green manure plots sprayed with moringa leaf extract. In the major season experiment, soil amendment significantly increased the number of leaves, number of daughter shoots, height and yield of spring onion where poultry manure treated plots produced the highest number of leaves (17.23), number of daughter shoots (4.25), the tallest plants (41.16cm) and highest yield (2.68t/ha). Plots which were not treated with any manure produced the lowest yield, number of leaves, number of daughter shoots and plant height. Botanicals again did not significantly influence growth and yield of spring onion in the second experiment but the number of leaves damaged by thrips was significantly reduced by the botanicals. Neemazal and moringa leaf extract were more effective. The highest net benefit (GH¢ 714) was recorded by poultry manure treatments which were not sprayed with any botanical. Poultry manure appears to be the most important and cost effective organic manure in this study, the use of which should be encouraged in both the minor and major rainy seasons. Neemazal and moringa leaf extracts were found to be effective in reducing the number of leaves damaged by onion thrips in the minor and major rainy seasons by preventing them from feeding and causing damage to the leaves of spring onion.

Source: KNUST
Effect of soil amendments on the quality of three commonly cultivated lettuce cultivars

The effect of soil amended with poultry manure and NPK fertilizer on the quality of three cultivars of lettuce; Great Lake, Eden and Trinity cultivated in KNUST, were assessed and analysed. The cultivars were raised, harvested and stored at the Department of Horticulture of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. The harvested leaves were assessed for calcium, iron, vitamin C, chlorophyll, carotenoid level, weight loss and dry matter content as well as E. coli and faecal enterococci contamination. The treatments showed a significant effect (p<0.05) on the quality parameters except weight loss, dry matter content, E. coli and faecal enterococci load. The cultivars also varied (p<0.05) with regards to the quality indicators assessed. Similarly, the interaction of the treatments and cultivars showed significant differences. The results revealed the stream water used for irrigation as the lead source of the bacterial contaminants. The highest level of E. coli and faecal enterococci contamination ranged from 4.09 – 4.58 log cfu/g and 2.49 – 2.56 log cfu/g while the lowest loads recorded were 0.50 – 0.90 log cfu/g and 1.57 – 1.81 log cfu/g, respectively. Great Lakes harvested from plots amended with NPK was the only sample to have had no E. coli pathogens. Only few of the samples recorded contamination level below the satisfactory microbiological hygiene critical level of 2 log cfu/g.

Source: KNUST
Effect of some biological and physico-chemical factors on the water quality of river Ankobra and its major tributaries

The absence of treated piped-borne water in the Wassa West District and the reliance of communities on River Ankobra as the source of drinking water make its quality important. Water from Mansi, Bonsa and Fure tributaries; up and down streams of Mansi –Ankobra confluence; up and down streams of Bonsa-Ankobra confluence; and the up and down streams of Fure-Ankobra confluence were sampled. Water sampled from these sampling sites were accessed for pH, Conductivity, Total Dissolved and Suspended Solids, Cyanide, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Turbidity, Total and Faecal Coliforms, over a six month period. Among the sampling sites, Mansi tributary and upstream of Fure-Ankobra confluence recorded high levels of most of the parameters analyzed. Mansi tributary recorded mean Turbidity level of 199.35 NTU, TSS of 74.58 mg/l, and BOD of 2.37 mg/l with the upstream of Ankobra–Fure confluence also recording approximately the same mean levels of Turbidity (281.8 NTU), TSS (73.75 mg/l), and BOD (2.04 mg/l) as Mansi tributary. Additionally, upstream of Fure–Ankobra confluence recorded mean Conductivity levels of 167.19 µs/cm; TDS of 83.61 mg/l; with Total and Faecal Coliforms of 7.09 and 5.17 Geomean/100ml respectively. Among the parameters analyzed pH, TSS, Turbidity, Total and Faecal Coliforms levels did not meet WHO standards for drinking water. Although one expects high levels of cyanide in Mansi tributary, due to occasional cyanide spillage in its sub-tributaries, its level and that of the other sampling sites were below detection limit. Periods of rainfall observed during sampling increased the levels of the parameters analyzed especially within Mansi tributary. The pollution of Ankobra Basin correlates with areas of intense human activities, such as illegal mining activities within the upstream of Fure-Ankobra confluence and run-off water from the activities of Golden Star Resources Limited silting the Mansi tributary. Whiles Fure and Bonsa tributaries contributed significantly to reducing (P<0.05) turbidity in the river Ankobra, Mansi tributary significantly increased (P<0.01) turbidity levels in it. It is recommended that both tributaries and the river should have 100 metre buffer zones with reforestation in the degraded portions and Community Biodiversity Organizations formed and empowered to guard the demarcated buffer zones from anthropogenic activities.

Source: KNUST
Effect of Solvent Type on Tannin Extractability from Three Tetrapleura Tetraptera (Schum. & Thonn.) Taubert Positions for Wood Composite Adhesive Formulation

Raw materials for adhesive production are conventionally from expensive petrochemicals, which affect synthetic resins relative to total costs of glued products. Phenol replacement with tannins (i.e., plant polyphenols) in Phenol-Formaldehyde resins is imperative since tannin adhesives are equally resistant to moisture and microbial degradation. Tannin was extracted from Tetrapleura tetraptera (i.e., bark, leaf and fruit) using distilled water and 1% NaOH through Soxhlet extraction. Tannin presence, Extract yield and polyphenol/tannin content (i.e., Stiasny numbers) were respectively determined from qualitative and quantitative analyses. The solvent type and plant part influenced the yield and tannin content. All the three parts, especially the bark, contained tannin. Extract yield was greater in 1% NaOH (39.54% [from leaf] to 77.05% [from fruit]) than in distilled water (12.96% [from fruit] to 18.16% [from leaf]). Conversely, Stiansy numbers for tannin, at all plant parts, were greater for the water-soluble extracts (i.e., 67.50, 68.96 and 87.50% from the leaf, fruit and bark respectively) than in 1% NaOH (i.e., 33.72, 21.94 and 37.42% correspondingly). The large extract yields (i.e., 39.54 - 77.05% for 1% NaOH) and high Stiasny numbers particularly for the water-soluble extracts (e.g. 87.50% for the bark) demonstrate the potential of T. tetraptera extracts as agents for tanning and adhesive formulation for leather, wood and related industries.

Source: KNUST
Effect of some commonly used herbicides on soil microbial population

Herbicide application has become an integral part of vibrant agricultural productivity in the whole world since its benefit has been overwhelming over the years. However, its toxic impact on the non-target soil microorganisms which play roles in degrading organic matter, nitrogen and nutrient recycling and decomposition needs to be considered. In the present study, the effect of four (4) most commonly used herbicides in Ghana; Atrazine, 2, 4-D amine, Glyphosate and Paraquat on soil microorganisms was assessed over a period of fifteen continuous days (exposure period). The herbicide treatments were the normal recommended field rate, (6.67 mg active ingredient per gram of soil for Atrazine, 6.17 mg for 2, 4-D amine, 5.56 mg for Glyphosate, and 2.46 mg for Paraquat), half the recommended field rate and double the rate. Bacterial and Fungal population were then determined at a five-day interval up to the 15th day after treatment. The data gathered from bacterial enumeration was logarithmically transformed before graphs of mean bacterial were plotted against the exposure period for each selected herbicide. Bacterial population and percentage organic matter did not show any significant differences relative to the exposure period in this study (p < 0.05). However, the deleterious impact of the herbicides was seen as Paraquat treatment resulted in reduction in the bacterial population for five, ten and fifteen Days after treatment (DAT) in treatment halved the recommended field rate. Glyphosate follows with 69.3%, 12.7%, and 18.0%; 2,4-D amine had 44.8%, 33.5%, and 21.6%; and lastly Atrazine had 41.8%, 44.5% and 13.6% bacterial population 5DAT, 10DAT and 15DAT respectively. The inhibition effect on the fungal population was very specific as some fungi (such as A. Niger, Trichoderma viride, Collectotrichum gloeosporioides, A. flavus, Mucor, Penicillium, Curvularia lunata) which were present in the baseline (control) did not appear in the treatment and vice versa. Percentage organic matter for the treatment did not vary much with the baseline determination (control) but the impact was observed in the various levels of treatments for all the herbicides. A similar study should be conducted on a normal field condition where herbicide treatments would be carried out on a normal field condition since most of the previous studies had the herbicide treatment carried out under laboratory condition. It will also be very appropriate if further research work is carried out to identify the specific components of these herbicides which favour the growth and development of certain beneficial microorganisms such as fungi and bacterial.

Source: KNUST
The effect of some storage methods on the quality and shelf-life of some cultivars of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) variety

Yam (Dioscorea spp) plays a central role in the food economy in most West African countries especially Ghana. Production is seasonal yet, the consumption of the tuber is required over the whole year. Postharvest losses especially at storage is a major challenge. Hence, the study was to investigate and note the suitable storage method that would minimize losses incurred during storage in five farming communities in two major yam producing districts, Wenchi and Tain in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. A survey, storage and laboratory experiment were conducted to solicit for the pre-storage treatments applied to yam, methods adopted for storage and farmers knowledge on postharvest losses and study the effect of some factors that initiate and cause loss. Proximate analysis was also conducted on two selected cultivars during and after storage to determine the nutritional variation of White yam variety. The survey revealed, only few farmers (28%) apply agro-chemicals such as Benlate and Rizolex to their harvested tubers before storage. The commonest storage used by the respondents is the yam barn (60%). Burial (30%) and heaps on floor (10%) storage methods were also used depending on time of harvest. The respondents also estimated 1-30% as losses often incurred after harvest and in storage due to injuries (31%), pests (23%), weight loss (4%), sprout (21%) and decay (40%). The storage experiment conducted however showed sprouting to be that high (93%). The storage methods caused a significant reduction on the nutritional composition of the stored tubers. With the three storage methods (heaps on floor, yam barn and open sided) evaluated, the open sided storage performed best in minimising weight loss, sprouting, decay, pest damage and nutritional composition.

Source: KNUST
Effect of some processing and Storage methods on the Quality of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) Fruits

Three experiments were conducted on the research farm and in the laboratory of the Department of Horticulture,Kwame Nkrumah University of Sciencf and Technology between April 2003 and March 2006 to study the effects of some post harvest processing and storage methods on the quality of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) fruits. A variety of okra, with accession number KNUST/SL/03, from the Department of Horticulture was grown using seeds selected from a previous cultivation of the crop. Fruits were harvested at two stages of maturity, four and six days after fruit set, and used in the three experiments of fresh fruit storage, immersing fruits in hot water before storage and solar drying of fruits. Fruits for storage were packed in polypropylene and polyethylene bags with and without perforation. Data was collected on vegetative and reproductive parameters and days to first and second harvest after planting. External quality assessment based on colour, size and shape (shrivelling) was done on fruits before and after the storage period. The fruits were analysed in the laboratory for viscosity and nutrient content before and after storage. Results from the fresh storage experiment showed that: fresh okra fruits packed in both ployethylene bags and stored at 7-9oC stayed up to 24 days with no significant (p ≤0.05) weight loss. Viscosity of all stored samples decreased with increasing storage period and the loss in viscosity ranged between 67.6-71.6% for packed fruits.Apart from Vitamin C all other nutrient elements tested did not reduce sigificantly over the storage period. Total friut salvage was 68.3% and 93.3% for packed samples from fruits harvested at four and six days after fruit set respectively, indicating that packing using polyprolylene and ployethylene with and without perforation for storage gave longer shelf life without marked changes in useable qualities of the produce. Fruits immersed in hot water before storage showed a very fast rate of detoriotion during storage. Fruit weight was quite stable but the colour changed to oak brown within 16 days of storage. No fruit were salvaged at the end of the experiment, indicating that fruits immersed in hot water did not last for the 24 days storage period. Nutrient content, weight, viscosity and colour of dried produce showed that drying is suitable for processing okra to store for longer shelf-life without a significant loss in colour and internal qualities

Source: KNUST
Effect of stage of maturity and storage on fruit quality and shelf-life of watermelons (Citrullus vulgaris)

In this experiment, which was conducted at the Departments of Horticulture and Biochemistry, University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, the qualities of two cultivars of watermelon-Sugar Baby and Top Yield were examined during maturation, ripening and storage. It was observed that the value of total soluble solids, acidity, PH, Vitamin C and water increased gradually during maturation and ripening: the ash content decreased in relation to fruit size and weight. These increases continued during cool storage with the exception of the total soluble solids in the Sugar Baby cultivar which showed a reduction during storage. For storage purposes, fruits should be harvested about 3 days before they become fully mature: this period would normally be 30 days after flower anthesis

Source: KNUST
Effect of stages of ripening and tray fermentation method on the quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans

Tray fermentation method as a cocoa postharvest technology has remained limited in use in Ghanaian cocoa preparation and the need to explore its comprehensive value has become imperative to derive its benefits. The major objective of this study was to assess the effect of different stages of pod ripening on quality of fermented cocoa beans using the tray fermentation method. Three treatments namely, Half ripe, Full ripe and Over ripe were distributed over three sets of trays namely (T1, T2 and T3) with each set of tray representing tray replication. Traditional leaves (Heap) method was used as control involving the full ripe stage. The results indicated a significant difference between the over ripe beans and the other three treatments with a percentage mould (1.78%) which was within acceptable maximum level of 4% for grade 2 cocoa. The over ripe beans tray fermented drifted beyond grade 2 with the 6.56% germinated beans content exceeding the 6% upper limit and was rendered substandard. There was also a significant difference between the half ripe tray fermented in terms of slaty (7.45%) which narrowly fell within the acceptable (8%) for grade 2 cocoa, purple (17.33%) was within the grade 1 limit of (20%), and pH (5.77) which was within what could be termed unfermented (5.5-5.8) compared to the other three treatments which were within acceptable limits. The tray fermented over ripe beans also showed a significant difference in terms of pH (4.47) and free fatty acids (0.99%), however, they were within acceptable levels (1.75%) for good quality cocoa. The tray fermentation method was found to be less cost effective than the traditional heap method in the short run. However, the tray method had numerous advantages over the traditional method in the long run.

Source: KNUST
Effect of stage of ripening and month of harvest on the physico-chemical properties of citrus sinensis var. Late valencia stored at ambient conditions

The study was undertaken to determine effect of stage of ripening and harvest on the physico-chemical properties of citrus (Citrus sinensis var. late Valencia). A total of four hundred and fifty (450) citrus fruits with the same maturity periods were harvested from the same farm for three different months, harvesting one hundred and fifty (150) fruits each months. Some fruits were analyzed for their physico-chemical properties in their fresh state on day one of harvest while the others were stored for five and ten days before..........................................

Source: KNUST