ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Effect of Different Seed Priming Methods on Germination, Seedling Establishment and Vigour in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.) and Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterrenea (L.) Verdc.)

Two experiments were designed to study the effect of hydro- priming (water) and osmo-priming (Mannitol and NaCl at -1.5 M Pa) and seed size on germination, seedlings establishment, vigour and biomass at maturity of three varieties of Sorghum bicolor L. Moench and Vigna subterrenea L. Verdc. The experiments were (1) a laboratory test with seeds germinated in wet sand for 10 days in a completely randomized design with four replications to determine germination traits, shoot and root lengths and (2) a field experiment in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications at the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute from August 2011 to January 2012. Seeds of three varieties of sorghum, ‘Dorado’, ‘Kapaala’ and ‘Kadaga’ were primed with Mannitol and NaCl (-1.5 M Pa) for 72 hours at 25° C and also in water for 24 h at 28 ± 3°. Large and small seeds of three varieties (‘Cream with black eye’, ‘Cream with brown eye’ and ‘Red’) of Bambara groundnut were separately primed with Mannitol and NaCl (-1.5 M Pa) for 120 h at 25° C and also primed in water separately for 24 h at 28 ± 3°. The laboratory results showed that osmo-priming of sorghum and Bambara significantly improved germination percentage, germination index, and mean germination time and seedling vigour, compared to other seed treatments. Likewise hydro-priming significantly improved seedling dry weight as compared to other seed treatments. The field results of the Bambara groundnut also showed that osmo-primed seeds had the least average delay (lag period) from the start of imbibitions to radicle emergence, were the earliest to start to germinate, obtained higher number of pods per plant in comparison with the other seed treatments. Hydro-priming significantly increased the number of plants per plot compared to other seed treatments. Seed biomass had effect on the overall percentage and seedling vigour. In all Bambara groundnut varieties, the smaller seeds had the faster germination, the higher percent germination and seed vigour. On the contrary, plants grown from large seeds produced greater dry matter compared to those grown from small seeds for all varieties.

Source: KNUST
Effect of Different Pre-Sowing Treatments on the Germination and Initial Growth of Pterocarpus Erinaceus Seeds

Pterocarpus erinaceus plants are being used in the afforestation programme implementation in the savanna ecological zone of the Northern Region of Ghana but there is a problem with the germination rate and efficiency of the seeds. This study was therefore initiated to investigate the effects of different pre-sowing treatments on seed germination and seedling growth rate of Pterocarpus erinaceus. Seeds from Pterocarpus erinaceus plant were collected and subjected to five different pre-sowing treatments. The seeds soaked in cold water at room temperature for 24 hours (T2), in hot water (100 ⁰C) for 1 hour (T3), in concentrated sulphuric acid for 1 hour (T5), mechanical scarification (T4), and no treatment (T1) as control. The treatments were arranged using Completely Randomized Design. Each treatment had 50 seeds making a total of 250 seeds as the sample size. After the treatments, the seeds were sown in 10cm black polythene tubes filled with loamy soil. One seed was sown per tube at a depth of 2cm. Growth features of the seeds were assessed 7 days after sowing, and daily thereafter for 25 days. Data collected were subjected to ANOVA and the significant means separated using the F-LSD. The results indicate that pre-sowing seed treatments have positive influence on percentage germination. However, seed treatment had no significant effect on the seedling growth. Highest percentage germination (70%) was attained with seeds soaked in cold water (T2) at 25⁰C. This was followed by those which were mechanical scarification (T4) which recorded percentage germination of 66%. Control (T1) and hot water (T3) treatments recorded percentage germination of 62% and 58% respectively. No germination was recorded for acid treatment. Seeds that were treated with cold water had the best results as compared to the other treatments. Therefore, it is recommended that using cold water at room temperature as a pre-sowing method should be encouraged for early germination of P. erinaceus.

Source: KNUST
Effect of different solvents on the extraction of soya bean oil

Extraction of soya bean oil is often by mechanical and solvent expression with mechanical expression efficiencies seldomly exceeding 80%, compared to over 98% achieved by solvent extraction. Solvent extraction, however, acquires its efficiency from the solvent hexane, which the government of the United States of America Clean Air Act has banned based on health and safety reasons for working staff and its explosive nature. This research presents the findings of the use of alternate solvents (isopropyl alcohol and petroleum ether) as a replacement for hexane, conditions required to optimise maximum oil recoveries using parameters such as moisture content, duration, texture of samples and leaching rate per solid-liquid phase for each solvent and an assertion of the quality of soya oil extract through physicochemical analysis. The results indicated that petroleum ether had higher oil recovery (fine = 95.4%, medium = 69.1%, and coarse = 55.6) than isopropyl alcohol (fine = 33%, medium = 32% and coarse = 18.3%) with texture of sample as a determinant. The physicochemical analysis of the oil indicated its high quality.

Source: KNUST
Effect of different storage periods on the quality of dry cocoa beans of amelonado and mixed hybrid varieties cultivated at Wassa Amenfi West District of Western Region

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of different storage periods on the quality of stored dry cocoa beans of Amelonado and mixed hybrid varieties. The study comprised two components mainly field survey and laboratory experiment. The field survey was conducted at Wassa Amenfi West District in the Western Region of Ghana to identify storage practices of farmers and cocoa purchasing clerks. Structured questionnaires were used to interview 150 farmers using simple random sampling technique and 75 PCs using purposive sampling technique. Data obtained from the field survey were analyzed using SPSS. The laboratory analysis was 2 x 5 factorial laid in a completely randomized design. The Factor ‘A’ was cocoa variety with two levels (Amelonado and mixed hybrid) and Factor ‘B’ was storage period with five levels (i.e. initial (control), 30, 60, 90 and 120 days) and replicated three times. Data were collected on cut test, moisture content, pH, fat and free fatty acid contents and were analyzed using Statistix statistical package 9th edition. Treatment means were compared using HSD at 1% level of probability. The study revealed that 82% of farmers stored dried cocoa beans for less than 7days during the main season whereas 18% of farmers stored for more than7 day, however in the minor season 62% farmers stored dried cocoa beans for less than 7 days whereas 38% of farmers stored for more than 7 days. On the contrary 28% of PCs stored dried cocoa beans for less than 14 days whereas 72% of PCs stored for more than 14 days during the main season, however in the minor season 33% of PCs stored dried cocoa beans for less than 21days, whereas 67% stored for more than 21days. Most of the farmers (40%) stored their dried cocoa beans in jute sacks whilst others stored in baskets (23%), fertilizer bags (19%), hermetic bags (10%), polythene bags (5%) and rubber bowls (3%). Mixed hybrid varieties had more slaty beans (0.54%) than Amelonado variety (0.20%). Amelonado variety had 99.45% purity which was higher than that of mixed hybrid varieties (98.65%). Fat content in the cocoa beans did vary significantly between the Amelonado variety (38.34%) and mixed hybrid varieties (34.10%). Free fatty acid in Amelonado variety was 1.69% which was statistically lower and different from that of the mixed hybrid varieties (1.98%). Free fatty acid recorded at the initial period (control), 30, 60, 90 and 120 days were 2.12%, 1.98%, 1.57%, 1.43% and 2.09% respectively. Interaction of cocoa variety and storage period had significant effect on moisture, fat and free fatty acid contents. Amelonado variety maintained relatively good physical qualities during the various storage periods than the mixed hybrid variety therefore; it is recommended that Amelonado variety could be stored for longer periods (60 days) than the mixed hybrid varieties (30 days).

Source: KNUST
Effect of Direct-Fed Microbial (DFM) As Administered In Water on the Health and Performance of Poultry in Hot Humid Environment

The study aimed at determining the effectiveness of probiotics (RE3) administration in drinking water on growth of broilers and laying performance as well as health status of broiler and layer chicks in a hot humid environment. In Experiment 1, 192 four-week old broiler chickens were randomly allotted to four treatment groups, with 3 replicates of 16 birds per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The RE3 was administered at 1.5 ml/kg in feed for T2, 1.5 and 2.5 ml/L of drinking water, representing T3 and T4. The control group (T1) did not receive RE3 either in feed or water. 2.5 ml DFM was used in treatment 2 instead of 2.0 ml because of the short duration (4 weeks) for the experiment. The first experiment lasted for five (5) weeks. Parameters measured include, feed consumption, body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass characteristics (gizzard, liver, intestines and abdominal fat) and blood haematological parameters. The economics of production was also calculated. The provision of RE3 via feed or drinking water did not have any significant (P>0.05) effect on broiler performance and carcass characteristics. However, performance of broiler birds which has 1.5 ml DFM in feed (T2) and water (T4) showed slight improvement in performance. The blood parameters followed the same trend, except the platelet values which was significantly (P<0.05) higher (7.833) for birds on the higher level of administration of DFM in water (T4) and significantly (P<0.05) lower (6.833) for the control group that received no probiotic. T2 and T3 recorded the same platelet value of 7.333. Three hundred (300) 30-week old layer birds were used in Experiment 2. The birds were randomly allotted to 5 treatments with 3 replicates of 20 birds per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The RE3 (DFM) was administered at the levels of zero in both feed and water for the control (T1), 1.5 ml kg-1feed, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 ml/L of drinking water, representing treatment T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. Parameters measured were, feed consumption, body weight and body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, egg production, egg weight and internal egg quality (albumen height, width and shell thickness) and the economics. Mortalities were recorded as it occurred. The layer experiment lasted for ten (10) weeks. The administration of RE3 at different concentration either in feed or water did not have any significant impact on the laying performance or egg quality of the layer birds. Similar to the broiler studies, the performance of layer birds on treatment which contained1.5 ml DFM in feed (T2) and 2.0 ml DFM in water (T5) were numerically higher in terms of egg weight, hen-housed, and hen-day egg production. It can therefore be concluded that the administration of DFM (RE3) at a concentration of 1.5 ml/L in drinking water for broiler chickens and 2.0 ml/L in drinking water for layer chickens contributes positively to their performance under hot humid conditions.

Source: KNUST
Effect of direct-fed microbial on the immunology, blood profile and growth performance of sheep

Increasing public health concern on the effect of the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in the livestock production industry and it residual effect has caused the search for alternative growth promoting feed additive. An alternative feed additive that is gaining major attention is direct-fed microbial (DFM). This study was therefore aimed at assessing the effects of three different types of DFM namely RE3TM, RE3TM Plus (fermented products of RE3TM) and Paenibacillus polymyxa-based DFM (PP) on the haematology, immunology, biochemical and pathogenic microbial counts as well as growth performance of sheep. A feeding trial which lasted for four months was conducted at the Ejura Sheep Breeding Station. Twenty four Ewes with their lambs of 2.5 ± 2kg average body weight were kept in individual pens and were randomly allotted four dietary treatments in a completely randomized block design with each treatment having six replicates. The dietary treatments which were T1 as the control, T2 – RE3TM, T3 - RE3TM Plus (fermented products of RE3TM) and T4 - Paenibacillus polymyxa-based DFM were administered in two forms, diluted form( 1.5 mL of DFM dissolved in 10 mL of water) and undiluted form (1.5 mL/ kg of feed). The diluted DFM (1.5 mL/day) was orally given to the lambs for a month during the suckling phase and the undiluted form of the DFM was mixed (1.5 mL/kg of feed) with the basal diet at feeding time during the creep and grower phase. Crude protein percentages in the diets were 16.1% and 18.6% for the pre-weaning and post-weaning phase respectively. The DFM supplementation did not significantly (P>0.05) affect feed intake and the growth performance among the lambs during the entire study. Haematological and biochemical parameters measured were not significantly affected by the DFM treatment. The immunological parameters measured responded to the DFM treatment offered, with lambs on treatments 3 and 4 recording the highest (P=0.0122) IgA levels than the control. The CD4 levels differed significantly among the treatments. The bacteria count values for treatment 1, 2 and 4 differed significantly from treatment 3 which recorded the highest (P=0.0536) E. coli levels in faeces. Though DFM treatments generally had no influence on growth performance, haematological and biochemical parameters measured, the treatments resulted in the differences in immunological values obtained, with the DFM containing Paenibacillus polymyxa numerically enhancing growth performances of the lambs.

Source: KNUST
The effect of dividend announcement on share prices: A study on the Ghana stock exchange

Maximising Shareholder’s wealth in modern times has become the primary goal of financial management. The wealth of shareholders is found in the share prices of a company and thus is maximised when the prices of company’s shares increase. Amongst the several factors that affect the prices of company’s shares, researchers have argued that one of the most influential is dividends paid to investors. Available literature from the Ghanaian context has shown mixed results on the relevance of dividends with several of these researches pointing to the inefficiency of the Ghana Stock Exchange. This study analysed the behaviour of share prices around 30 dividend announcement days for eleven companies listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange with the aim of determining if there was a relationship between dividend announcements and share prices. The sample companies were also analysed in light of their market capitalisation to determine if the market’s reaction to dividend announcement were influenced by the size of listed companies. Data used were mainly obtained from the Ghana Stock Exchange and GSE filings of Annual Reports Ghana and included the closing share prices of sample companies, daily Ghana Stock Exchange Composite Index and published dates of dividend announcements. The study established that dividends carry negative information to the market and company size influences the effect and the speed with which the market reacts to dividend announcements on the Ghana Stock Exchange.

Source: KNUST
Effect of dividend policy on share price: empirical evidence from ghana stock exchange

The impact of dividend policy on stock prices in Ghana is the focus of this research. The study uses secondary data from the yearly financial reports of 15 listed corporations between 2010 and 2021 to examine the connection between dividend policy and share prices via the lens of an explanatory research design and quantitative analysis. Fixed effect regression models are employed, along with robustness tests to address endogeneity, heteroscedasticity, serial correlation, and multicollinearity. The findings underscore a significant negative relationship between Dividend Policy and Share Price, suggesting that companies with higher dividend pay-outs tend to experience lower share prices. Moreover, the examination of determinants of Share Price revealed that Earnings (ER) positively influence Share Price, while Inflation (INF) exhibits a negative impact. Gross Domestic Product Growth (GDP) positively correlates with Share Price, whereas Interest Rate (INR) negatively affects it. Considering the study's insights, it's recommended that investors balance dividend policy decisions to maintain growth prospects. Policymakers should monitor inflation's impact and consider measures to mitigate its effects. Firms should align strategies with economic expansion, while investors should factor interest rate dynamics into their decisions for better risk management. Also, future research could explore the role of corporate governance and market sentiment in shaping share price dynamics.

Source: KNUST
Effect of different storage methods on the quality characteristics of cowpea grains (a case study of Dormaa Ahenkro District)

The study was carried out in the Dormaa Ahenkro District of Brong Ahafo Region in Ghana to assess the effect of different storage methods on some quality characteristics of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) grains of Nhyria, Tona and Soronko which were identified as the most popular cultivated varieties in the district. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of the five (5) communities from Dormaa Ahenkro district to participate in the research. The communities selected were Kosane, Asikesu, Atesikrom, Besease and Badukrom. However, simple randomized sampling was used to select ten (10) farmers from each community and fifty (50) cowpea marketers, of which twenty two (22) were wholesalers and twenty eight (28) were retailers. The study determined the effect of different storage methods on the proximate and mineral composition. Other quality characteristics such as live insect count, dead insect and grains with holes were also assessed during the three (3) month of storage. Proximate and mineral composition was carried out on the cowpea varieties before storage. The storage methods; drum (with no chemical), drum with phosphine tablet and hermetic bag. Majority (50%) of the active farmers was within the age ranged of 30 - 40 years and that of the cowpea marketers were 20-29 years. Majority (70%) of the farmers had secondary education. The field survey revealed five varieties under cultivation by the farmers. They were; “Uganda” (white with black-eye), “Mallam adamu” (red), “Soronko variety, Nhyira variety and Tona variety. The major storage methods used were storage rooms (10%), nylon bags (40%), empty drum (36%) and hermetic bag (4%). Ninety two (92%) of those that stored their produce in storage rooms do regular spraying to prevent disease and pest infestation. Thirty two (32%) of the marketers (wholesalers and retailers) adopted good sanitation measures to prevent disease and pest infestation. The major challenges during storage are disease and pest attack (80%), theft (16%) and not well dried cowpea grains (4%).The live insect count for the three varieties ranged from (0.74– 0.82) with no significant difference occurring among the varieties. Mortality rate was higher in the Nhyira cowpea variety during the three (3) month of storage period. It was observed that 68% and 8% of the marketers (wholesalers and retailers) used actellic, used phosphine tablet respectively. The high crude protein, crude fibre, moisture and ash content before and after storage suggested that the differences observed are mainly genetic. The low level of reduction in cowpea grain quality in terms of available live insect, dead insect and grains with holes was correlated to the level of infestation by the Callosobruchus maculatus.

Source: KNUST
Effect of doxycycline treatment on Onchocerca volvulus worms that respond poorly to Ivermectin

Onchocerciasis is a significant public health concern especially in sub-Saharan African countries. Despite more than 20 years of ivermectin mass treatment programmes in endemic areas in the Pru and Lower Black Volta river basins, cases of recrudescence of infections in individuals suggestive of sub-optimal responses of Onchocerca volvulus to ivermectin have been reported. In this study, the effect of doxycycline (a licensed tetracycline) therapy on onchocerciasis patients responding sub-optimally to previous multiple treatments with ivermectin was assessed. A total of 149 onchocerciasis-infected volunteers were treated with either 100 mg/day doxycycline (n = 73) or matching placebo (n = 76) for 6 weeks. All study volunteers were allowed to take 2 rounds of 150 mg/kg ivermectin during the study period. Microfilaridermia levels of all study volunteers were monitored at pre-treatment, 12 months and 20 months post-treatment using skin biopsies. At the end of the study, there was a highly significant difference (p < 0.0001) in the number of microfilaridermic volunteers between the doxycycline and placebo groups, with the doxycycline group showing a drastic reduction from 65.7% to 2.9% whiles the placebo group showed a marginal increase from 63.2% to 69.0%. There was also a highly significant difference (p < 0.0001) in the microfilarial geometric mean load of volunteers between the two groups, with the doxycycline group showing a drastic reduction from 1.3 to 0.2 whiles the placebo group showed a marginal increase from 1.3 to 1.7 despite 2 treatment rounds of ivermectin during the study period. Doxycycline therefore proved to be effective in this study and is thus recommended as a front-line therapy for use in clearing microfilariae from individuals who seem to be responding sub-optimally to repeated ivermectin therapy.

Source: KNUST