Research
The effect of different supplements on birth weight and kid growth on Red Sokoto goats in Adamawa State, Nigeria
This study was carried out at the Teaching and Research farm of Federal University of Technology; Yola, Nigeria, to evaluate the growth performance of kids which include birth weights growth rate, incidence of twinning, mortality rate and feed intake of Red Sokoto does. Four treatments of five does each were used. The animals in all treatment groups were allowed to graze on natural pasture after which supplemental feeds are given. Treatment one was used as a control group, treatment two was supplemented with maize bran, treatment three with cotton seed cake and four with groundnut hay. The result shows that the heaviest birth weight was recorded in treatment one (2.07kg) and the lowest birth weight was recorded in treatment three (1.25kg) at parturition. Significant different (p>0.05) exist between treatment one and the other three in respect of birth weight. For growth rate, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between all the treatment groups. Daily supplementary feed intake which ranged between 361.l0g and 399.50g did not show any significant difference (p>0.05) between all the treatment groups. The highest was recorded in treatment four (399.80g) and the lowest in treatment two (361.l0g). Incidence of twinning was recorded twice in treatment two and three respectively. Mortality was recorded once in treatment one and three in treatment two. Animals supplemented with maize bran and cotton seed cake gave the best performance in productivity.
THE EFFECT OF PIG REARERS PERSONNAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SOME CONSTRAINTS ON SMALL HOLDER PIG PRODUCTION IN MUBI ZONE OF ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA.
The study was conducted to investigate effect of pig rearers personal characteristics and some constraints on pig production in Mubi zone of Adamawa State Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were used to purposely sample 210 small-holder pig keepers in the study area. Data obtained were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage). The result of this study showed that pig reares personal characteristics have significant effect on small holder pig production in the study area. The result also indicated that, the growth of small holder pig production is adversely affected by high cost of feed, religious believe and inadequate capital. Government support to improve on the small-holder pig production in the area of finance, provision of inputs, Veterinary and recommended.
ASSESSMENT OF THE DIGESTIBILITY OF INTERCROPPED SORGHUM STOVER WITH (GROUNDNUTS) LEGUME
This study aimed at looking into ways of improving the nutritive values of sorghum Stover grown under two conditions: one grown sole and another intercropped with groundnuts. As an abundant source of dry season feeds, the study was conducted to determine its nutritional value and digestibility. Nine Yankasa rams weighing 22±2.5 kg, age between 6 and 12 months were used in this experiment. Rams were completely randomized into three treatments with three rams per treatment. Treatment one was sole sorghum, treatment two intercropped sorghum Stover plus 200 grams groundnuts hulms. Treatment three intercropped Stover plus 400 grams of groundnut hulms. Result of the analysis showed that there was an increase in the rate of digestibility in intercropped Stover fed with supplement. This could be due to high nitrogen content available to ruminal bacteria in the intercropped Stover and supplements, which was not in the sole grown Stover. Based on this result, the experiment recommends the intercropping of sorghum with groundnuts to improve law nutrients value and digestibility. At 200 and 400 grams levels of supplementation there was significant increase at (P<0.05) digestibility with accompanied increase in body weighed gain. No decrease in weighed gain was observed in treatment one, although 400 grams supplementation showed the highest weight gain of 5.7 kg.
REVIEW: THE IMPORTANCE OF MOLECULAR MARKERS IN PLANT BREEDING PROGRAMMES
Since the advent of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers, a range of other markers such as Random Amplified Polymorphism DNA (RAPD), amplified fragment length (AFLP), Simple sequence repeats (SSRS), etc has been introduced during the last two decades of the 20th century to fulfill various demands of the last breeding programmes. Ever since their invention, they are being, constantly modified for enhanced utility as a means to solve problems and to bring about automation in the genome analysis, gene tagging, phylogenic analysis and selection of desirable genotypes. It is also evidence that molecular markers (non morphological markers) offer several advantages over the morphological markers (conventional phenotypic markers), as they provide data that can be analyzed objectively; giving new dimension to breeding especially with respect to the time required to developing new improved crop varieties. In terms of scientific progress, the old disciplines of quantitative genetics and plant taxonomy have been revived by the molecular marker approach, which have the immediate application in supportive research for advanced breeding programmes. Therefore, the success of DNA marker technology for bring genetic improvement in crop plants would depend on close interaction between plant breeders and biotechnologists, availability of skilled manpower and substantial financial investment on research.
