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The common bean (P. vulgaris. L) is an important crop in Africa. The seeds are used dry or green for human consumption and leaves are occasionally used as a leaf vegetable. As a legume beans are capable of fixing nitrogen into the soil for subsequent crops.Though important as a food crop and in...

The unpredictable rainfall patterns increased the demand for early maturing maize cultivars. The two most limiting production constraints in maize are drought and low nitrogen. In most national breeding programs in Southern Africa there are no early maturing testers for use in the early phases of...

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the main staple food crop in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. The nutritional superiority of Quality Protein Maize (QPM) in both human and animal nutrition ,especially in monogastric animals, has been clearly and repeatedly demonstrated. Numerous...

Striga hermonthica (Del.) Beth popularly known as witchweed infests cereal crops particularly maize (Zea mays L.) leading to severe reductions in yields, thereby compounding the food insecurity of thousands of households in sub-Saharan Africa region. In Tanzania, maize is grown on about 2 million...

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal crop and primary source of calories in Zimbabwe. Generally two groups of farmers are involved in maize production, the large scale commercial sector (LSC) and the communal farming sector (CFS) categorized based on production systems and scales of...

Maize is the principle staple food and source of protein and calories for millions of people in Southern Africa. Common maize is deficient in lysine and tryptophan and thus predisposes mothers and children to the risk of malnutrition. the consumption of quality protein maize (QPM), which has...

Maize (zea mays L.) is the staple food crop in Zimbabwe with a per capita consumption of 103kg. It is grown in a wide range of environments with 80% being produced by smallholder farmers who occupy more than 90% of the marginal areas of the country. Marginal area production has seen a high hybrid...

Storage losses present a major threat to food security among the small-holder farmers in Africa. The Maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, is one of the most important storage pest for which breeding for resistance is the best option for reducing storage losses. A study was conducted to...

A field experiment was conducted at Chilanga, Zambia (15 34 S 28 19 E, 1313m asl) during the 2000/2001 season to determine the effects of neem and tephrosia extracts on aphid-borne viruses of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabaceae). The experiment was factorial and consisted of four treatments (extract...

The effects of litter quality and inorganic nitrogen (N) on rate of decomposition and N release pattern by three leguminous woody species were investigated under field conditions by the litterbag technique. The species studied in 1994/1995 were Leucaena leucocephala, Senna siamea and Flemingia...