ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Inheritance and combining ability studies on grain yield and resistance to maize weevil (Sitophilus Zeamais, Motschulsky) among extra early quality protein maize inbred lines.

The maize weevil is one of the most important storage pests of maize in Ghana and Africa as a whole. It causes damage from as low as 20% to as high as 100% in untreated varieties. Developing resistant varieties has been identified as an important and environmentally friendly aspect of the integrated pest management system. However, little is known about the genetic control of resistance to the maize weevil in Ghana. The main objective of this research was to understand the genetic control and heritability of resistance to the maize weevil. The specific objectives were to identify promising genotypes with resistance to the maize weevil. Five parents were crossed in a complete Diallel mating design to obtain 20 hybrids. The 25 genotypes were planted again with two local checks to obtain their seeds. The seeds obtained from these genotypes were subsequently used in the laboratory evaluation for the identification of resistance of the genotypes to the three regional collections of the maize weevils. The laboratory assessment identified parent TZEEQI 111 as the best parental line for resistance to the maize weevil. It exhibited highly significant and negative GCA effects for weevil progeny emergence, percentage weight loss, percentage grain damage and susceptibility index. It also exhibited a positive and significant GCA effect for Median development period. Hybrids TZEEQI 111 × TZEEQI 139, TZEEQI 111 × TZEEQI 12, TZEEQI 111 × TZEEQI 61 and TZEEQI 12 × TZEEQI 66 exhibited significant SCA effects. Heritability estimates revealed high narrow sense heritability for F1 weevil progeny emergence, percentage grain damage and susceptibility index. These results suggest the presence of additive and non-additive gene action in the control of resistance to the maize weevil. Parental lines TZEEQI 111, TZEEQI 139 and TZEEQI 66 performed very well and as such should be considered when forming base population to initiate breeding programs for resistance to maize weevils.

Source: KNUST
Inheritance of flag leaf angle in two rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars

The leaf posture of a genotype determines the amount of solar radiation intercepted by the genotype. The flag leaf in cereals has been recognized to contribute largely to the filling of grains because it supplies photosynthetic products mainly to the panicle. Genetic segregation patterns were studied in two lowland rice (oryza sativa) genotypes with different flag leaf angles, Nerica L19 or WAB2155 (with horizontal flag leaf angle) and WAS161-B-9-3or Nerica L 41 (with erect flag leaf angle). Data were obtain at grain filling for all the generations, there were six generations including the two parents (P1and P2), F1and F2, and the backcrosses with each parent (BC1 and BC2). Genetic differences were detected among genotypes with erect flag leaf and horizontal flag leaf. Segregant data showed the existence of one gene (3:1 ratio) controlling the expression of flag leaf angle. Data suggest that efficient selection for erect flag leaf type in rice is possible and that considerable genetic improvement can be expected for flag leaf angle. Heritability estimate as well as F2 frequency distribution of plant height, panicle length, 1000 seed weight, flag leaf length, spikelet per plant, number of tillers and number of panicle per plant indicated the presence of additive and non additive effects in the control of the traits. Transgressive segregation towards the shorter parent was observed for flag leaf length and plant height.

Source: KNUST
Information system security threats and vulnerabilities: evaluating the human factor in data protection

Researches in information security have all these while been concerned only with technical problems. Attempts to curb security problems are either software-centered or hardware-oriented. The greatest loophole in information security are people who use the computers. However, there have been limited attempts in addressing the people aspect of security. In this study the missing link in information security, that is, the end-user working on the system is addressed. Despite the implementation of technological solutions, the human factor is still vulnerable to attacks and hence in need of further investigation and interrogation. The study draws its data from a survey conducted on people who frequently use information systems. Professional and technical inputs were also solicited from IT personnel through interviews. Four experiments were conducted to test the accuracy of the survey. A phony phish system was developed to test respondents’ information security. The goal of the phony phish system is to send phishing emails that can be used to measure the accuracy of the survey. The rest of the experiments were SQL injection, cross site scripting and brute force attack. The thesis argues that advancement in security technologies do not always guarantee secure environments. Thus, information security cannot be depended exclusively on hardware or software. It is people who use computers and therefore information security is also a human factor issue. It also suggests, for information and data breaches to be curbed, organizations must adopt a holistic security framework, incorporating the human factor vulnerability to it.

Source: KNUST
Inheritance of resistance to flower bud thrips (Megalurothrips Sjostedti) in Cowpea

Flower bud thrips is a major pest of cowpea that causes significant grain yield losses. Chemical control measures are the most widely known form of control to this pest. However, the rapid development of insecticide resistance in thrips population has rendered the chemical treatments ineffective. The development of flower bud thrips resistant varieties is necessary to help curb the situation. Knowledge of inheritance of flower bud thrips resistance is required to accelerate breeding of resistant varieties. Inheritance of resistance to flower bud thrips in cowpea was studied in a cross involving resistant (Sanzi) and susceptible (Bengpla) genotypes, using generation mean analysis. The segregating generations were intermediate between the resistant and susceptible parents and were skewed towards the resistant parent. Reciprocal differences were not detected in the cross suggesting the absence of maternal effect. The results revealed a non-significant departure from zero for parameters A, B and C and a non-significant chi-square (χ2) for joint scaling test indicating adequacy of the additive-dominance model in explaining the mode of inheritance of resistance to flower bud thrips in cowpea. The additive-dominance model revealed that both additive and dominance gene effects contributed significantly to the inheritance of resistance to flower bud thrips suggesting the potential for further improvement of the trait using simple selection and hybridization procedures. Dominance gene effect was negative indicating dominance in the direction of the resistant parent. Negative heterosis over mid-parent was observed for thrips resistance score. Estimates of broad sense and narrow sense heritabilities indicated that environmental effects were larger than genetic effects. The results suggested the imposition of lower selection pressure in order to advance as many high-potential recombinants as possible in a hybridization programme.

Source: KNUST
Inheritance of resistance to rosette virus disease in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Groundnut rosette disease is one of the most destructive diseases militating against groundnut production in sub-Sahara Africa and Ghana in particular. The disease causes an annual losses of US$156 million across Africa. The development of resistant varieties is necessary to help curb the situation. A study was conducted to understand the inheritance pattern of the disease resistance. Knowledge of inheritance of groundnut rosette resistance is required to accelerate breeding of resistant varieties. Thus F1, RF1, F2, RF2, BC1, RBC1, BC2, RBC2 progenies were derived from crosses of Otuhia x Manipintar, Otuhia x Shitaochi, ICGV 01276 x Manipintar and ICGV 01276 x Shitaochi along with their parents were sown in a randomized complete block design at CSIR-CRI, Fumesua, under artificial infection. Disease diagnosis using TAS ELISA revealed the presence of GRAV antigens in the resistant samples analyzed. Resistance genotypes containing GRAV were considered to be resistant to the GRV and its sat RNA, but not the GRAV which causes no obvious symptoms by itself. Generation mean analysis was carried out to detect the nature of gene action responsible for the disease resistance inheritance. The results revealed that inheritance to groundnut rosette disease resistance is governed by both additive and non-additive gene effect. The data suggested that additive gene action effect was predominant on the resistance to the disease in all the crosses. Additive by dominance was the only form of non-allelic interaction observed. Analysis of variance showed significant difference (P≤ 0.05) among generation means. Mean reciprocal difference suggested the presence of maternal effect involved in the inheritance of resistance to groundnut rosette disease. Estimate of broad and narrow sense heritability indicates that genetic effect was larger than the environmental effects in this study. Negative heterosis over the mid-parent was observed for the rosette resistance. Pure line breeding with selection from early generation is suggested for the improvement of the trait, because the additive genetic effect contributed significantly in controlling the inheritance of resistance to GRD.

Source: KNUST
Initial growth of tetrapluera tetraptera (Schum and Thonn.) as influenced by soils from different land use systems

Seedling remains the most vulnerable stage of a tree life cycle. This study aimed at assessing the growth performance of Tetrapluera tetraptera seedlings in soils from different land use systems. The experiment was laid in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replicates. The treatments were soils collected from forest reserve, surface mine, farm and teak plantation. Growth parameters that that were measured were height, diameter, sturdiness quotient, relative growth rate (height and diameter) and plant dry weight. The soils used differed in their effectiveness in promoting the growth of seedlings. Seedlings in reserve and farm soil had statistically greater height and relative height growth rate than those in teak and mined soil. Diameter and relative diameter growth rate of seedlings in farm and reserve soils were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those in teak and mined soils. The soils used had a significant effect (P < 0.001) on shoot, root and total seedling dry weights. Farm and reserve soil produced seedlings whose dry weights were significantly higher than the other soils. Seedlings from mined, reserve and farm soils had significantly higher nitrogen concentration in all plant parts. Reserve soil produced seedlings with statistically higher plant parts nitrogen uptake and the least was recorded in mined soil. The soils used had a significant effect on plant phosphorus uptake with the higher values been recorded in farm soil and the least in the mined soil. Seedlings in farm and reserve soils had statistically (P < 0.01) higher nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency than those in teak and mined soils. Percentage mycorrhiza colonization was positively correlated with plant total nitrogen concentration (r = 0.800, P < 0.05). The study has shown that Tetrapluera tetraptera seedlings growing in farm and reserve soils exhibit fast growth rate with efficient nutrient acquisition and utilization.

Source: KNUST
Innovation novelty and performance of humanitarian organisations: boundary roles of innovation intensity and external communication

ABSTRACT In an increasingly precarious and uncertain operating environment, organisations boost their operational performance on the basis of their ability to innovate to introduce new strategies, processes and products in the marketplace. However, the organisational innovation literature suggests that the performance outcomes of a strategy based on increasing the proportion of novel innovations may not be straightforward, and may be dependent upon organisation-specific and external environment factors. Evidence from the empirical literature also suggests inconsistencies in empirical findings regarding the performance outcomes of novelty of organisational innovations. Thus, the extant literature points to the possibility that organisational innovation novelty may offer only conditional benefit for performance. To resolve these knowledge gaps, this study integrates the literature on organisational innovation, resource-based view and diffusion of innovation theory to examine the extent to which the operational performance benefit of organisational innovation novelty is limited to an optimal point and is conditioned by increases in the resource requirements for novelty, intensity of innovation and extensiveness of external communication efforts. Using primary data from not-for-profit humanitarian organisations in Ghana and analysing the data with LISTREL 8.5 using SEM , organisational innovation novelty is found to have a J-shaped relationship with operational performance. The relationship is enhanced when levels of intensity of innovation are high. In addition, findings reveal that the operational performance outcome of organisational innovation novelty is enhanced when levels of external communication are low to moderate. A key theoretical implication is that increases in novelty levels of an organisation’s innovations do not always produce a superior operational performance outcome, rather the operational performance benefits that humanitarian organisations generate from novel innovations may be limited by funding requirements of seeking novelty, and conditioned by the extent to which firms invest in external communications. A major managerial implication is that innovation novelty levels need to be managed with the goal of maintaining an optimal point of novelty that enhances humanitarian organisation’s operational performance. The findings also provide important lessons for public policy-makers: in developing economies such as Ghana, low to moderate levels of external communication efforts are ideal for innovation success in not-for-profit sector. While low to moderate external communication between business leaders and public officeholders may produce some benefits for innovation success, too much engagement between business leaders and public officeholders can depress the effectiveness of an organisation’s novel innovation outputs.

Source: KNUST
Injecting commercial sense into penal enactment: A Critique of the Fines (Penalty Units) Act, 2000 (Act 572).

For a very long time the draftsman has been saddled with the problem of couching penal enactments. The problem that has often exercised the mind of the draftsman is mainly two-fold. First, it is pretty difficult getting the right and all embracing language that can capture various scenarios falling within the scope of the enactment. Sometimes over enthusiasm on the part of the draftsman to adopt an all embracing language with sufficient width to encapsulate all conceivable situations in the context of the enactment leads to the adoption of open textured language which is often fraught with vagueness and ambiguity that eventually gives rise to interpretation prob- lems. A typical instance of this problem is the Section 179A of the Crimi- nal Code (Amendment) Act, 1993 (Act 458)2.

Source: KNUST
Innovation among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Volta Region: the role of Tacit Knowledge

The purpose of this research is to examine the role of tacit knowledge in innovation among SMEs. Compared to available research material on explicit knowledge, the role of tacit knowledge in innovation within SMEs is relatively unexplored. Through literature review and the use of interviews, the role of tacit knowledge in innovation of SMEs is analyzed. The findings reveal that tacit knowledge use in the SME innovation begins with the discussion to embark on the product, knowledge acquisition, training processes, how new products are introduced, documentation of innovative processes and protection of new ideas. The study discovered that tacit knowledge has a crucial influence on innovation among SMEs and plays a vital role as a company resource and success factor. Based on the findings, recommendations have been made which when implemented will enhance the use of tacit knowledge in SME innovation.

Source: KNUST
Innovative Financing of Road Projects in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

Road transport represents a dominant force in the transport industry in developing countries. It therefore stimulates growth and development. However, traditionally roads provision in developing countries has been the responsibility of government and the huge budget constraints over the years has made governments unable to effectively fund road infrastructural provision. This problem calls for paradigm shift in the provision of road infrastructure in Ghana. Consequently, the study was articulated with the aim of exploring innovative ways of financing urban road projects in Ghana. A quantitative enquiry to the study was adopted and subsequently, close-ended questionnaire was utilised in eliciting response from the major stakeholders in the road construction industry. The data was subjected to analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. Based on the overall rankings the findings revealed that Construction management and Public private partnership are the modern or innovative project financing options frequently used in urban road projects. Accessible financing, Cost effectiveness, Improved quality of services among others are the drivers that somewhat push innovative road financing. The barriers identified to be significant were Contractual complexity, Unfavourable economic and commercial conditions, Corruption issues all having mean values greater than 3.50. Throughout the study it became apparent that most innovative financing projects in other infrastructure projects were awarded not on competitive basis. It is therefore recommended that innovative financing of urban roads be awarded on competitive basis to ensure value for money. Public engagement is necessary, especially with the affected communities. The study explores a relatively new area and consequently serves as the basis to spur future research.

Source: KNUST
Innovative Methods for Processing Snail (Achatina Achatina) Meat Powder of High Microbiological and Sensory Qualities

A new method of purging the snail in addition to three drying methods, namely smoke- drying, gas-drying and solar-drying were chosen for this work. Proximate, microbiological and sensory analyses were conducted on dry snail meat powders from the three drying methods. The proximate analyses showed that there were no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the values of protein, ash and moisture using the three dryers. However, significant differences (p > 0.05) were recorded in the values of fat, total carbohydrate and energy content of the dry snail meat powders produced from the three dryers. The smoke dried samples had the least number of microoganisms with 5.15 x 104 cfu/g and 6.64 x 104 cfu/g for bacteria and mold respectively at the end of the thirty – week storage period. The smoke dried samples had the best sensory qualities and were most preferred in terms of aroma and colour. From the results obtained, a combination of purging and smoke drying using smoke generated from sawdust and charcoal from hard wood, in addition to hygienic handling and milling are the most innovative methods for processing snail meat powder to obtain products of high microbiological and sensory qualities.

Source: KNUST
Innovative Methods of Developing Patterns for Textile Screen Printing

The conventional process of transferring designs unto screen has been the normal practice over the years. This method though useful, produces designs that are static and rigid. The research idea was focused on exploring other techniques of transferring designs unto screen using natural objects such as leaves, pieces of paper, saw dust, local sponge and threads among others. Other techniques such as printing objects directly unto fabric and developing screen manually were explored. The outcome of the result was discussed and analysed critically.The research was based on the qualitative research approach and made use of the experimental and descriptive methods of research. Observation and unstructured interview were the main instruments used for data collection. The study revealed that, developing and printing designs directly from leaves, weeds, twigs, traditional sponge and thread among others provided a collection of unique designs with aesthetic values. This project will enable textile students, teachers and designers acquire new and interesting techniques in creating textile designs.

Source: KNUST
Inorganic phosphorus fractionation in some selected soils from the Eastern region of Ghana

Amounts of phosphorus (P) in inorganic form was determined for twelve top soils (0–10 cm), sub-surface soils (10 – 20 cm) and sub soil (20 –30 cm) which had been cultivated for at least 20 years, and their virgin analogues, to ascertain if relative pool sizes or soil P fertility are being changed by cultivation and associated fertilizer application. The soils were representative of major agricultural areas of the New Juaben and Yilo Krobo Districts of Eastern Region, with total P concentrations ranging from 11.60 µg/g to 31.82 µg/g (inorganic P). P forms in the pools and extractants used were as follows: loosely-bound (1.0M NH4 Cl), nonoccluded (0.5M NH4 F + 0.1M NaOH), occluded (citrate-dithionite-bicarbonate + 0.5M NH4 F + 0.1M NaOH), and Ca bound (1.0M HCl). Loosely-bound P was not analysed in this work because of its small concentration in the soils. Akwadum fertilized cultivated soils had higher distributions of P-fractions (Al-P, Fe-P and Ca-P) and all found in the surface soil (0 – 10cm). Inorganic P-fractions were greatly influenced by soil properties such as soil pH, soil electrical conductivity (EC), % organic carbon (% OC) and soil particle sizes. Cultivation resulted in an increase in nonoccluded and decrease in occluded P. Average distribution of P-fractions as a percentage of total fraction in the Huhunya virgin soils was 57.53 % Ca-P, 18.68% Al-P and 18.15% Fe-bound. Huhunya cultivated soils recorded 50.27% Ca-P, 20.43% Al-P and 20.02% Fe-P. Akwadum fertilized cultivated soil had 62.29% Ca-P, 14.07 Al-P and 13.86% Fe-P. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship among inorganic P fractions themselves and some soil physical properties. The conversion of organic to inorganic P may be reversed by management practices allowing a build up of soil organic matter. Since little change in amounts of loosely-bound inorganic P was observed during cultivation, the more stable pools may represent a better estimate of long-term soil fertility

Source: KNUST