Abstract

Records of 224 kits produced by fifteen dams and five sires were used to estimate covariance and correlations of litter traits in composite breed rabbit using paternal and maternal half-sib method. The traits studied were total litter size at birth (TB), litter size born alive (BA), litter birth weight (LBWT), 7-day body weight (7BWT), 21 day body weight (21BWT) and weaning weight (42BWT). The analysis of variance was done in a nested design with equal number of subclass. The estimates of covariance were generally low 0.002 and 0.004,0.004 and 0.009,0.001 and 0.001 for LBWT and BA, TB and 7BWT, LBWT and 42BWT while positive and significant genetic correlations (rG) (P > 0.05) was obtained for LBWT and BA (0.94 and 0.67), BA and 42BWT (0.89 and 0.61), LBWTB and 21BWT (0.88 and 0.63) from sire and dam components respectively. Phenotypic (rP) and environmental (rE) correlations between the traits studied were mostly non-significant (P 

Abstract

Introduced maize (Zea mays L.) germplasm can serve as important sources of favorable alleles for enhancing the performance of new maize varieties and hybrids under drought stress conditions. Ninety-six elite maize hybrids alongside four hybrid checks were evaluated for grain yield and other agronomic traits under managed stress conditions over two seasons at Ikenne, Nigeria. Hybrids differed significantly for grain yield and other measured traits under both drought stress and well-watered conditions. Grain yield varied from 444 to 3022 kg ha−1 under drought stress, and from 3827 to 8887 kg ha−1 under full irrigation. Drought stress reduced grain yield by 70%. Each of the top 10 yielders under drought stress produced >2500 kg ha−1 and had a yield advantage of >10% over the best check. Three hybrids namely; ADL47 × EXL15, ADL41 × EXL15 and EXL02 × ADL47, produced competitive yields under both irrigation treatments.

Abstract

Gene action and interaction are very important in formulating the appropriate breeding technique to produce new varieties in okra. The objective of the study was to investigate gene action controlling yield and 12 related traits in okra. Sixteen bi-parental progenies of okra were evaluated in October, 2013 and May, 2014 at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (Lat 7°29 N, Long 3°30 E), Nigeria. Seeds were sown in single-row plots laid out in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Mean squares were obtained for the thirteen characters according to North Carolina Design II. Heritable variances were partitioned into additive and dominance components. General (GCA) and specific combining abilities (SCA) of both parental and progenies respectively were estimated with a view to identifying high combiners among genotypes. Results suggested both additive and dominant gene effects for most characters with dominant gene effects for number of leaves per plant and weight of 100 seeds. The study concluded that both additive and dominant gene actions controlled the expression of characters in okra. NHGB/09/009A and FUNAAB-11-8 are high combiners for number of days to 50% flowering and number of pods/plant and they are recommended as high-yielding, early-maturing okra variety. FUNAAB-11-4 x LD 88 and UI4-30 x FUNAAB-11-8 can be further improved to develop high-yielding hybrid okra varieties due to their high SCA. Number of days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of branches per plant, pod weight and number of ridges per pod will respond to selection because of the preponderance of additive gene action.

Abstract

A study on the distribution and frequencies of coat colour, wattle, beard, horn, and hair type using 375 extensively managed local goats was carried out in the three administrative zones of Niger state, Nigeria. The animals were scored for coat colour pigmentation pattern, presence or absence of wattle, beard, horn, hair type and extra teat. The study showed that light brown is the predominant colour in zones A (43.24%) and zone C (47.57%). Dark brown colour was predominant in zone B (37.82%) followed by light brown (31.09%). The observed frequencies for wattle (Waw) and extra teat (Ete) were above (p 

Abstract

Germplasm identification and characterization is an important link between conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources. The present study was conducted to characterize the morphological diversity of 10 germplasm accessions of Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L) Gaertn) collected from diverse locations spread across the geographic Northern Nigeria during the 2008, 2009 and 2010 cropping seasons. The seeds of the accessions were planted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in each of two locations-Keffi and Gwagwalada, during the three cropping seasons. The field studies for the three seasons in the two locations followed uniform agricultural practices. Field data was collected on morphological traits such as plant height, leaf length, leaf diameter, finger length, finger width, number of fingers and 1000 seed weight were recorded in accordance with standard finger millet descriptors. The results obtained, showed that plant height in accession Ex-Kwi was significantly different from all the other nine accessions while the highest leaf length which was recorded in Ex-Riyom was significantly different (p 

Abstract

Fifteen elite yellow maize inbred lines were evaluated in a randomized complete block design experiment with three replicates in 2014. Data were collected on days to anthesis and silking, anthesis-silking interval, plant and ear heights, number of ears per plant, leaf area, ear weight and grain yield. Mean values were used to determine characters' phenotypic and genotypic variances, phenotypic, genotypic and environmental coefficients of variation. Broad sense heritability and genetic advance percentage of mean were estimated for each trait. Significant variation existed in all the characters. The coefficients of variation were low except for ear weight and grain yield that were relatively higher. The anthesis-silking interval was highest in lines TZEI 124 and TZEI 16, but least in lines BD74-222, TZEI 11 and TZEI 13. Line BD74-222 had the height plant height and BD74-165 had the least. Line TZEI 124 produced highest maize grain yield whereas line TZEI 146 had the least. Coefficients of variation of phenotype and genotype were low for all the traits except number of ear per plant, ear and grain yield. The characters were less influenced by the environment thus the traits can be used for selection. Heritability was greater than 80% for all characters studied whereas expected genetic advance ranged from low (8.91) in days to silking to high (72.03) in number of ear per plant. Days to anthesis and silking, plant height and number of leaf per plant were positively correlated. Grain yield was positively correlated with ASI, plant and ear heights, number of leaf per plant and leaf area. High heritability and high genetic advance for ASI indicated the presence of additive genes in the trait and suggested reliable maize improvement through selection of the traits. In this study moderate genetic advance was associated with high heritability.