B.R. Nahata Smriti Sansthan Agricultural Extension Journal (AEXTJ)

A Review on the Concept (Challenges and Opportunities) of One Health Approach to Control Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonosis

2024-02-03T04:51:09+00:00

Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that are naturally transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans and vice versa. They are caused by all types of pathogenic agents, including bacteria, parasites, fungi, viruses, and prions. Infectious diseases have for centuries ranked with wars and famine as major challenges to human health and survival. Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases negatively affect the human and animal populations. The One Health approach has a great role; it needs strong collaborative efforts and interdisciplinary communication to prevent epidemics or epizootic diseases and to maintain ecosystem integrity, thereby improving and defending optimal health around the globe. Despite this potential, failure to work collaboratively, lack of awareness, absence of a standardized framework to capture the concept of disciplines, and other problems with the difficulty of wildlife management had a negative impact on one health implementation. However, with changes in the environment, human behavior, and habitat, these infections are increasingly emerging from wildlife species. By solving the challenges of one health approach, it is possible to make it a more powerful tool to protect living things and the environment from diseases around the globe. Therefore, all concerned bodies should participate in one health activity to achieve the future expected of one health approach. Although this review focuses on approaches to challenge control of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases.

Effects of Climate Change Variability on Physical, Natural, and Financial Livelihood Assets of Rural Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria

2024-02-03T04:54:06+00:00

The study investigated the effect of climate change variability on the livelihood assets of the rural farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to ascertain farmers’ awareness of climate change signs; sources of information on climate change; identify the livelihood activities of respondents; and describe the effect of climate change on the livelihood assets of the farmers. A purposive sampling technique was used in selecting a sample size of 120 respondents. Data were collected by use of a structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The result revealed that the major signs of climate change included increased temperature, unpredictable rainfall patterns, drought, flooding, increased precipitation, crop damage, and others. The major livelihood activities of the respondents in the study area include crop farming, poultry farming, fishing and fish farming, trading, and livestock rearing. Climate change affects the livelihood of rural people and can be seen in the effects it has on their physical, natural, and financial capital. We recommend that rural people should be well educated on the issue of climate change and made aware of its various effects so that they can get a good understanding of the concept before devising ways to battle it.

Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Agricultural Crop Production in Onitsha Agricultural Zone of Anambra State, Nigeria

2024-02-03T04:56:49+00:00

This paper ascertained the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on crop production in the Onitsha agricultural zone, Anambra State, Nigeria. Data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire distributed to 120 respondents randomly selected from a list of 1200 farmers in the zone. Descriptive tools such as percentages and mean scores were used to analyze the data. The results obtained showed that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on crop production in the area include shortage of farm labor (M = 3.40), hindered purchase of labor for farmwork (M = 3.55), leads to deficiency in raw materials (M = 3.53), halt monitoring of crop pests and disease in the field (M = 3.30), disruption in the crop production cycle (M = 3.60), harvest/post-harvest activity stoppage (M = 3.50), failure to plant crops in the field (M = 3.46), failure to carry out varied cultural practices (M = 3.10), among others. Several strategies were adopted for improvement. Among these strategies were provision of food storage warehouses (M = 2.73), the creation of improved food market channels (M = 2.76), food sharing opportunities (M = 2.70), the provision of financial aid to vulnerable farmers (M = 2.80), and encourage the local food supply chain (M = 2.70), among others. This study therefore recommends that the government and non–governmental organizations should provide the necessary aid needed for improvement in post-COVID-19 crop production.

Impact of Anchor Borrowers Program (ABP) on Smallholder Rice Farmers in Kebbi State, Nigeria

2024-02-03T04:59:20+00:00

The study examined the impact of the Anchor Borrowers Programme on smallholder rice farmers in Kebbi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 500 beneficiary and non-beneficiary rice farmers, each giving a sample size of 1000 farmers for the study. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequency distribution, performance indices computation, t-test, Chow-test, and production function analysis. The results of the analysis of the Chow F computation indicated that there is a significant difference in the production function of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, respectively, since the computed Chow F value of 21.128 was greater than that of the critical F-value at the 0.01 probability level. This is an indication that the anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) performed well. The results further revealed that the two groups of rice farmers were not operating on the same production function. ABP significantly and positively affected the output and income of the beneficiary farmers in the study area. It is recommended that Policies should be tailored toward inclusiveness of more farmers into the ABP. The program should also be extended to cater for other sub-sectors of the Agricultural sectors, such as Livestock and Aquaculture.

Characterization of B-Glucan from Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius)

2024-02-03T05:06:14+00:00

Mushrooms are known as B-glucan sources. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize and purify B-glucan by alkaline extraction from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius) to evaluate its molecular weight (Mw) and viscosity. The ideal extraction process parameters were found as 80oC, 90 min, and 30% KOH. Fourier transforms-infrared spectroscopy analysis and 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used for chemical characterization, and extracted B-glucan was found to be a B-(1-3) glucose polymer with B-(1-6) side chains. The Mw was determined as 349.26