Kudakwashe Hove | University of Namibia (original) (raw)
Papers by Kudakwashe Hove
JOURNAL OF TROPICAL FOREST SECIENCE, 2017
Very few agroforestry species perform well in the Cuvelai Basin of north-central Namibia due to t... more Very few agroforestry species perform well in the Cuvelai Basin of north-central Namibia due to the harsh climatic and edaphic conditions. Leucaena leucocephala is one of these species and has many ecological and economic benefits but it tends to be invasive. To evaluate the suitability of this species for agroforestry in Namibia, two experiments were conducted at the Ogongo Campus of the University of Namibia. As indication of invasiveness, seed germination and survival of seedlings under different management were monitored for 44 weeks and growth rates of 33-month-old sprouts were used to estimate the potential wood biomass production. Watering and tilling the land gave the highest number of surviving seedlings. Death of seedlings was highest during the dry cold and dry hot months. Height growth rate of sprouts was 1.98 m year-1 and sun dried wood production was 15.8 tonnes ha-1 year-1. Low temperature, soil surface hard pan and extreme lack of moisture could limit seedling survival and hence invasiveness. Biomass production compares favourably with productivity of L. leucocephala grown elsewhere. The likelihood of the species becoming invasive is viewed as high only in cultivated, irrigated areas. Leucaena leucocephala could be utilised as an agroforestry species under proper management to minimise chances of it becoming invasive.
In semi-arid regions, climate change has affected crop growing season length and sowing time, pot... more In semi-arid regions, climate change has affected crop growing season length and sowing time, potentially causing low yield of the rainfed staple crop pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) and food insecurity among smallholder farmers. In this study, we used 1994–2023 rainfall data from Namibia's semi-arid North-Central Region (NCR), receiving November–April summer rainfall, to analyze rainfall patterns and trends and their implications on the growing season to propose climate adaptation options for the region. The results revealed high annual and monthly rainfall variabilities, with nonsignificant negative trends for November–February rainfalls, implying a shortening growing season. Furthermore, we determined the effects of sowing date on grain yields of the early-maturing Okashana-2 and local landrace Kantana pearl millet varieties and the optimal sowing window for the region, using data from a two-year split-plot field experiment conducted at the University of Namibia-Ogongo C...
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) is an orphan, underutilised and less exploited c... more Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) is an orphan, underutilised and less exploited crop in Africa and beyond, yet it is an essential traditional crop for subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, in Namibia, neither a pre-breeding nor a breeding programme exists for Bambara groundnut. Twenty-five Bambara groundnut accessions acquired locally and outside Namibia were characterised for descriptor state, including possible character diversity on the quantitative descriptors. Square lattice design with three replications was used. Data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation moment, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. ANOVA indicated significant differences (P < 0.05) among accessions for most of the characters measured, and highly significant differences (P < 0.01) for the number of pods per plant, pod yield, seed yield, plant height, and dry biomass. The dendrogram sub-criterion indicated three clusters, confirming the results of the PCA, which grouped accessions with common descriptors in the same quadrants. PCA biplot showed that the first two components explained 59.55% of the variation. Overall results suggest that the Bambara groundnut accessions evaluated in this study showed high variability, thus can be used as a source of pre-breeding materials to initiate a national breeding programme.
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) is an orphan, underutilised and less exploited c... more Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) is an orphan, underutilised and less exploited crop in Africa and beyond, yet it is an essential traditional crop for subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, in Namibia, neither a pre-breeding nor a breeding programme exists for Bambara groundnut. Twenty-five Bambara groundnut accessions acquired locally and outside Namibia were characterised for descriptor state, including possible character diversity on the quantitative descriptors. Square lattice design with three replications was used. Data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation moment, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. ANOVA indicated significant differences (P < 0.05) among accessions for most of the characters measured, and highly significant differences (P < 0.01) for the number of pods per plant, pod yield, seed yield, plant height, and dry biomass. The dendrogram sub-criterion indicated three clusters...
Journal of Agriculture and Applied Biology
Bambara groundnut is one of the underutilised legume crops adapted to Sub-Saharan Africa's ha... more Bambara groundnut is one of the underutilised legume crops adapted to Sub-Saharan Africa's harsh, semi-arid tropical regions, providing nutrition and cash income among resource-poor farmers. A field study comprising 25 Bambara groundnut accessions was carried out during the 2018/2019 cropping season at the Crop Science Experimental Field, University of Namibia-Ogongo Campus, to characterise the accessions using qualitative traits. The experimental design used was an alpha lattice with three replications. Based on the visual observation techniques, the results showed morphological variation among the genotypes. The Bambara groundnut germplasm studied showed high phenotypic variations. The germplasm had a high proportion of the bunch-type growth habit (44% accessions), oval leaflet shape (64%), sparse hairiness (56%), and absence of eye pattern colour (70%). Also, cluster analysis grouped the accessions into five super classes. Shanon-Wennier index indicated a significant level o...
Education and Information Technologies, 2022
Advances in Agriculture, 2021
In semiarid regions, drought is the major threat to crop production, but climate change and varia... more In semiarid regions, drought is the major threat to crop production, but climate change and variability often bring floods to the regions, forming seasonal wetlands causing damage to local, drought-adapted staple grains and, hence, low yields and food deficit. Introduction of the semiaquatic crop rice (Oryza spp.) to these semiarid wetlands could complement the dryland crop low yields and overcome the food shortage problem. A field experiment was carried out at the University of Namibia-Ogongo Campus during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 cropping seasons to assess the growth and yield of rice genotypes. Twelve short-duration rice genotypes, nine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and three locally grown upland NERICA genotypes, were used. Parametric analysis of variance was performed to test their effects on crop growth and yield characters. The results showed significant genotype by year interaction for days to heading, plant height, the number of tillers per m2, sh...
Agronomy, 2021
The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Sa... more The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Saharan Africa, owing to the prevailing low precipitation conditions. Most fields supporting crop production in northern Namibia are located in a network of seasonal wetlands. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ridging and fertilizer application on the yield and the growth of pearl millet in the seasonal wetlands under different rainfall conditions. The study was conducted for two years (2017–2018) in the experimental fields in northern Namibia, and yield, yield components, and growth parameters were evaluated in relation to the application of different fertilizers (manure and mineral) with and without ridge-furrows. Manure fertilizer application presented the highest yield in 2018, whereas mineral fertilizer application showed the highest yield in 2017. The proportion of rainfall was the highest during the mid-growth period in 2017, and the reproductive stage in 2...
Education and Information Technologies, 2022
In semiarid regions, drought is the major threat to crop production, but climate change and varia... more In semiarid regions, drought is the major threat to crop production, but climate change and variability often bring floods to the regions, forming seasonal wetlands causing damage to local, drought-adapted staple grains and, hence, low yields and food deficit. Introduction of the semiaquatic crop rice (Oryza spp.) to these semiarid wetlands could complement the dryland crop low yields and overcome the food shortage problem. A field experiment was carried out at the University of Namibia-Ogongo Campus during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 cropping seasons to assess the growth and yield of rice genotypes. Twelve short-duration rice genotypes, nine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and three locally grown upland NERICA genotypes, were used. Parametric analysis of variance was performed to test their effects on crop growth and yield characters. The results showed significant genotype by year interaction for days to heading, plant height, the number of tillers per m2, sh...
Tel.:+264810346223 Migration of the productive age group within the country coupled with regional... more Tel.:+264810346223 Migration of the productive age group within the country coupled with regionalism in land allocation demands an adjustment to the existing land tenure structure to cater for temporary land requirements of the migrants. A cross-sectional survey to gather perspectives and factors influencing one’s participation in land rental markets was conducted in order to evaluate the compliance of land governance with land rental requirements of temporary migrants. Survey responses were benchmarked against best practices criteria eight (8) international land governance guidelines. Results show that Land rental markets are active as people recognise their role in addressing land hunger of temporary residents. However, absence of binding contracts in land rental arrangement creates open access land use rights, resulting in environment degradation. Communities are thus more interested in legally binding land rental contracts as these are perceived secure in safeguarding their inve...
Background: HIV/AIDS and domestic violence are two of the major health problems affecting the liv... more Background: HIV/AIDS and domestic violence are two of the major health problems affecting the lives of millions of people worldwide. Many people have fallen victim to these two pandemics especially in sub-Saharan Africa and much of the developing countries. Aim: In the present paper, we investigate factors associated with domestic violence amongst four couple groups namely: concordant negative, concordant positive, discordant male positive and discordant female positive. Methods: Data from the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (2005-2006) was used to run a Chi-square test to compare couples on demographic factors, economic factors and decision making. A logistic regression model which helps to control for confounding was fitted to identify factors associated with domestic violence for the different couple groupings. Results: Domestic violence prevalence ranges from 39.4% to 53.5% for the four couple groupings, which is quite high requiring corrective measures. Concordant positive c...
Genetic and non-genetic factors were estimated for birth weight in the Tuli cattle breed of Zimba... more Genetic and non-genetic factors were estimated for birth weight in the Tuli cattle breed of Zimbabwe. Performance records ( n = 1154) were obtained from the Livestock Identification Trust (LIT) for the period (2008–2014) for three farms; X ( n = 494), Z ( n = 143) and Y ( n = 517). We used the Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) for fitting the Sire model. The model used the farm, season, sex, year and dam age as fixed effects while the sire was fitted as a random variable. Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) was used to predict breeding values (BVs). The mean birth weight was (30.89±0.128). Wet season had higher birth (31.62±0.27) weight than dry season (30.62±0.144); however, the difference was not statistically significant. The other factors, farm, sex, year and dam age had a significant effect (P <0.05) on birth weight. Heritability and repeatability estimates were 0.44 and 0.35, respectively. Based on the results, the high heritability estimate for birth weight suggests ...
Rainfall defines livelihood patterns among agrarian communities of the climate-change vulnerable ... more Rainfall defines livelihood patterns among agrarian communities of the climate-change vulnerable semi-arid Sub-Saharan Africa. However, it remains inadequately studied, resulting in ineffective water management policies and weak agricultural growth in the region. Monthly rainfall data collected between 1987 and 2018 at four stations along a 1200 km climatic gradient in northern Namibia were analysed for annual, seasonal and monthly trends and variability. Descriptive measures and the Mann-Kendall test were used for rainfall characterisation and trend detection, respectively. Results showed an annually increasing rainfall trend, but with a downward trend in the dry season decreasing by -0.14 mm year–1 and an upward trend in the rainy season increasing by 7.74 mm year–1 across the study area. The rainy-season mean monthly rainfall showed predominantly increasing trends, while the dry-season ones exhibited insignificant decreasing trends. The study detected a decreasing rainfall gradie...
In 2012, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe reviewed the Univer... more In 2012, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe reviewed the University qualification entry cut-off points downwards in the Applied Mathematics Department. Following the review, there has been a worrisome and distinct change in student performance in first year mathematics courses. To explore the possible causes of the poor performance amongst students, a two-stage probability sampling technique was used to collect secondary data covering mainly admission entry level qualification for each student. A one-way Sir Ronald Fisher’s Analysis of Variance model (ANOVA) was used to explore the contribution of various hypothesised factors to performance in first year undergraduate courses. Mathematics grade at advance level and overall performance in all subjects done at Advanced level by a student have a significant influence on his or her first year pure Mathematics courses performance at NUST. We recommend that the Department should employ remedial strategies...
Magna Scientia Advanced Biology and Pharmacy
Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure... more Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure is frequently used for growing various plants. However, the extent to which variations in proportions of these substrates affect growth and yield is not known. The study was conducted at the University of Namibia, Ogongo campus during the period April to August 2020 to determine optimum mixing ratios for sandy, Acacia erioloba soil and goat manure on the growth and yield of Swiss chard. Treatments were Sandy, Acacia soil and goat manure mixed in 5 different ratios of respectively; 1:2:1; 2:3:2; 1:1:1, 2:1:2, 1:1:2 and Acacia soil (control). Samples from each mixture used for pot filling were taken to the soil laboratory for textural analysis. A complete randomized experiment with 8 replications was laid under the University’s shade house. Measured parameters were plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry matter weight and chlorophyll content. Results showed that media was significantly dif...
Magna Scientia Advanced Biology and Pharmacy
Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure... more Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure is frequently used for growing various plants. However, the extent to which variations in proportions of these substrates affect growth and yield is not known. The study was conducted at the University of Namibia, Ogongo campus during the period April to August 2020 to determine optimum mixing ratios for sandy, Acacia erioloba soil and goat manure on the growth and yield of Swiss chard. Treatments were Sandy, Acacia soil and goat manure mixed in 5 different ratios of respectively; 1:2:1; 2:3:2; 1:1:1, 2:1:2, 1:1:2 and Acacia soil (control). Samples from each mixture used for pot filling were taken to the soil laboratory for textural analysis. A complete randomized experiment with 8 replications was laid under the University’s shade house. Measured parameters were plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry matter weight and chlorophyll content. Results showed that media was significantly dif...
Agronomy
The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Sa... more The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Saharan Africa, owing to the prevailing low precipitation conditions. Most fields supporting crop production in northern Namibia are located in a network of seasonal wetlands. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ridging and fertilizer application on the yield and the growth of pearl millet in the seasonal wetlands under different rainfall conditions. The study was conducted for two years (2017–2018) in the experimental fields in northern Namibia, and yield, yield components, and growth parameters were evaluated in relation to the application of different fertilizers (manure and mineral) with and without ridge-furrows. Manure fertilizer application presented the highest yield in 2018, whereas mineral fertilizer application showed the highest yield in 2017. The proportion of rainfall was the highest during the mid-growth period in 2017, and the reproductive stage in 2...
JOURNAL OF TROPICAL FOREST SECIENCE, 2017
Very few agroforestry species perform well in the Cuvelai Basin of north-central Namibia due to t... more Very few agroforestry species perform well in the Cuvelai Basin of north-central Namibia due to the harsh climatic and edaphic conditions. Leucaena leucocephala is one of these species and has many ecological and economic benefits but it tends to be invasive. To evaluate the suitability of this species for agroforestry in Namibia, two experiments were conducted at the Ogongo Campus of the University of Namibia. As indication of invasiveness, seed germination and survival of seedlings under different management were monitored for 44 weeks and growth rates of 33-month-old sprouts were used to estimate the potential wood biomass production. Watering and tilling the land gave the highest number of surviving seedlings. Death of seedlings was highest during the dry cold and dry hot months. Height growth rate of sprouts was 1.98 m year-1 and sun dried wood production was 15.8 tonnes ha-1 year-1. Low temperature, soil surface hard pan and extreme lack of moisture could limit seedling survival and hence invasiveness. Biomass production compares favourably with productivity of L. leucocephala grown elsewhere. The likelihood of the species becoming invasive is viewed as high only in cultivated, irrigated areas. Leucaena leucocephala could be utilised as an agroforestry species under proper management to minimise chances of it becoming invasive.
In semi-arid regions, climate change has affected crop growing season length and sowing time, pot... more In semi-arid regions, climate change has affected crop growing season length and sowing time, potentially causing low yield of the rainfed staple crop pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) and food insecurity among smallholder farmers. In this study, we used 1994–2023 rainfall data from Namibia's semi-arid North-Central Region (NCR), receiving November–April summer rainfall, to analyze rainfall patterns and trends and their implications on the growing season to propose climate adaptation options for the region. The results revealed high annual and monthly rainfall variabilities, with nonsignificant negative trends for November–February rainfalls, implying a shortening growing season. Furthermore, we determined the effects of sowing date on grain yields of the early-maturing Okashana-2 and local landrace Kantana pearl millet varieties and the optimal sowing window for the region, using data from a two-year split-plot field experiment conducted at the University of Namibia-Ogongo C...
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) is an orphan, underutilised and less exploited c... more Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) is an orphan, underutilised and less exploited crop in Africa and beyond, yet it is an essential traditional crop for subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, in Namibia, neither a pre-breeding nor a breeding programme exists for Bambara groundnut. Twenty-five Bambara groundnut accessions acquired locally and outside Namibia were characterised for descriptor state, including possible character diversity on the quantitative descriptors. Square lattice design with three replications was used. Data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation moment, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. ANOVA indicated significant differences (P < 0.05) among accessions for most of the characters measured, and highly significant differences (P < 0.01) for the number of pods per plant, pod yield, seed yield, plant height, and dry biomass. The dendrogram sub-criterion indicated three clusters, confirming the results of the PCA, which grouped accessions with common descriptors in the same quadrants. PCA biplot showed that the first two components explained 59.55% of the variation. Overall results suggest that the Bambara groundnut accessions evaluated in this study showed high variability, thus can be used as a source of pre-breeding materials to initiate a national breeding programme.
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) is an orphan, underutilised and less exploited c... more Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) is an orphan, underutilised and less exploited crop in Africa and beyond, yet it is an essential traditional crop for subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, in Namibia, neither a pre-breeding nor a breeding programme exists for Bambara groundnut. Twenty-five Bambara groundnut accessions acquired locally and outside Namibia were characterised for descriptor state, including possible character diversity on the quantitative descriptors. Square lattice design with three replications was used. Data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation moment, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. ANOVA indicated significant differences (P < 0.05) among accessions for most of the characters measured, and highly significant differences (P < 0.01) for the number of pods per plant, pod yield, seed yield, plant height, and dry biomass. The dendrogram sub-criterion indicated three clusters...
Journal of Agriculture and Applied Biology
Bambara groundnut is one of the underutilised legume crops adapted to Sub-Saharan Africa's ha... more Bambara groundnut is one of the underutilised legume crops adapted to Sub-Saharan Africa's harsh, semi-arid tropical regions, providing nutrition and cash income among resource-poor farmers. A field study comprising 25 Bambara groundnut accessions was carried out during the 2018/2019 cropping season at the Crop Science Experimental Field, University of Namibia-Ogongo Campus, to characterise the accessions using qualitative traits. The experimental design used was an alpha lattice with three replications. Based on the visual observation techniques, the results showed morphological variation among the genotypes. The Bambara groundnut germplasm studied showed high phenotypic variations. The germplasm had a high proportion of the bunch-type growth habit (44% accessions), oval leaflet shape (64%), sparse hairiness (56%), and absence of eye pattern colour (70%). Also, cluster analysis grouped the accessions into five super classes. Shanon-Wennier index indicated a significant level o...
Education and Information Technologies, 2022
Advances in Agriculture, 2021
In semiarid regions, drought is the major threat to crop production, but climate change and varia... more In semiarid regions, drought is the major threat to crop production, but climate change and variability often bring floods to the regions, forming seasonal wetlands causing damage to local, drought-adapted staple grains and, hence, low yields and food deficit. Introduction of the semiaquatic crop rice (Oryza spp.) to these semiarid wetlands could complement the dryland crop low yields and overcome the food shortage problem. A field experiment was carried out at the University of Namibia-Ogongo Campus during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 cropping seasons to assess the growth and yield of rice genotypes. Twelve short-duration rice genotypes, nine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and three locally grown upland NERICA genotypes, were used. Parametric analysis of variance was performed to test their effects on crop growth and yield characters. The results showed significant genotype by year interaction for days to heading, plant height, the number of tillers per m2, sh...
Agronomy, 2021
The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Sa... more The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Saharan Africa, owing to the prevailing low precipitation conditions. Most fields supporting crop production in northern Namibia are located in a network of seasonal wetlands. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ridging and fertilizer application on the yield and the growth of pearl millet in the seasonal wetlands under different rainfall conditions. The study was conducted for two years (2017–2018) in the experimental fields in northern Namibia, and yield, yield components, and growth parameters were evaluated in relation to the application of different fertilizers (manure and mineral) with and without ridge-furrows. Manure fertilizer application presented the highest yield in 2018, whereas mineral fertilizer application showed the highest yield in 2017. The proportion of rainfall was the highest during the mid-growth period in 2017, and the reproductive stage in 2...
Education and Information Technologies, 2022
In semiarid regions, drought is the major threat to crop production, but climate change and varia... more In semiarid regions, drought is the major threat to crop production, but climate change and variability often bring floods to the regions, forming seasonal wetlands causing damage to local, drought-adapted staple grains and, hence, low yields and food deficit. Introduction of the semiaquatic crop rice (Oryza spp.) to these semiarid wetlands could complement the dryland crop low yields and overcome the food shortage problem. A field experiment was carried out at the University of Namibia-Ogongo Campus during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 cropping seasons to assess the growth and yield of rice genotypes. Twelve short-duration rice genotypes, nine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and three locally grown upland NERICA genotypes, were used. Parametric analysis of variance was performed to test their effects on crop growth and yield characters. The results showed significant genotype by year interaction for days to heading, plant height, the number of tillers per m2, sh...
Tel.:+264810346223 Migration of the productive age group within the country coupled with regional... more Tel.:+264810346223 Migration of the productive age group within the country coupled with regionalism in land allocation demands an adjustment to the existing land tenure structure to cater for temporary land requirements of the migrants. A cross-sectional survey to gather perspectives and factors influencing one’s participation in land rental markets was conducted in order to evaluate the compliance of land governance with land rental requirements of temporary migrants. Survey responses were benchmarked against best practices criteria eight (8) international land governance guidelines. Results show that Land rental markets are active as people recognise their role in addressing land hunger of temporary residents. However, absence of binding contracts in land rental arrangement creates open access land use rights, resulting in environment degradation. Communities are thus more interested in legally binding land rental contracts as these are perceived secure in safeguarding their inve...
Background: HIV/AIDS and domestic violence are two of the major health problems affecting the liv... more Background: HIV/AIDS and domestic violence are two of the major health problems affecting the lives of millions of people worldwide. Many people have fallen victim to these two pandemics especially in sub-Saharan Africa and much of the developing countries. Aim: In the present paper, we investigate factors associated with domestic violence amongst four couple groups namely: concordant negative, concordant positive, discordant male positive and discordant female positive. Methods: Data from the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (2005-2006) was used to run a Chi-square test to compare couples on demographic factors, economic factors and decision making. A logistic regression model which helps to control for confounding was fitted to identify factors associated with domestic violence for the different couple groupings. Results: Domestic violence prevalence ranges from 39.4% to 53.5% for the four couple groupings, which is quite high requiring corrective measures. Concordant positive c...
Genetic and non-genetic factors were estimated for birth weight in the Tuli cattle breed of Zimba... more Genetic and non-genetic factors were estimated for birth weight in the Tuli cattle breed of Zimbabwe. Performance records ( n = 1154) were obtained from the Livestock Identification Trust (LIT) for the period (2008–2014) for three farms; X ( n = 494), Z ( n = 143) and Y ( n = 517). We used the Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) for fitting the Sire model. The model used the farm, season, sex, year and dam age as fixed effects while the sire was fitted as a random variable. Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) was used to predict breeding values (BVs). The mean birth weight was (30.89±0.128). Wet season had higher birth (31.62±0.27) weight than dry season (30.62±0.144); however, the difference was not statistically significant. The other factors, farm, sex, year and dam age had a significant effect (P <0.05) on birth weight. Heritability and repeatability estimates were 0.44 and 0.35, respectively. Based on the results, the high heritability estimate for birth weight suggests ...
Rainfall defines livelihood patterns among agrarian communities of the climate-change vulnerable ... more Rainfall defines livelihood patterns among agrarian communities of the climate-change vulnerable semi-arid Sub-Saharan Africa. However, it remains inadequately studied, resulting in ineffective water management policies and weak agricultural growth in the region. Monthly rainfall data collected between 1987 and 2018 at four stations along a 1200 km climatic gradient in northern Namibia were analysed for annual, seasonal and monthly trends and variability. Descriptive measures and the Mann-Kendall test were used for rainfall characterisation and trend detection, respectively. Results showed an annually increasing rainfall trend, but with a downward trend in the dry season decreasing by -0.14 mm year–1 and an upward trend in the rainy season increasing by 7.74 mm year–1 across the study area. The rainy-season mean monthly rainfall showed predominantly increasing trends, while the dry-season ones exhibited insignificant decreasing trends. The study detected a decreasing rainfall gradie...
In 2012, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe reviewed the Univer... more In 2012, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe reviewed the University qualification entry cut-off points downwards in the Applied Mathematics Department. Following the review, there has been a worrisome and distinct change in student performance in first year mathematics courses. To explore the possible causes of the poor performance amongst students, a two-stage probability sampling technique was used to collect secondary data covering mainly admission entry level qualification for each student. A one-way Sir Ronald Fisher’s Analysis of Variance model (ANOVA) was used to explore the contribution of various hypothesised factors to performance in first year undergraduate courses. Mathematics grade at advance level and overall performance in all subjects done at Advanced level by a student have a significant influence on his or her first year pure Mathematics courses performance at NUST. We recommend that the Department should employ remedial strategies...
Magna Scientia Advanced Biology and Pharmacy
Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure... more Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure is frequently used for growing various plants. However, the extent to which variations in proportions of these substrates affect growth and yield is not known. The study was conducted at the University of Namibia, Ogongo campus during the period April to August 2020 to determine optimum mixing ratios for sandy, Acacia erioloba soil and goat manure on the growth and yield of Swiss chard. Treatments were Sandy, Acacia soil and goat manure mixed in 5 different ratios of respectively; 1:2:1; 2:3:2; 1:1:1, 2:1:2, 1:1:2 and Acacia soil (control). Samples from each mixture used for pot filling were taken to the soil laboratory for textural analysis. A complete randomized experiment with 8 replications was laid under the University’s shade house. Measured parameters were plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry matter weight and chlorophyll content. Results showed that media was significantly dif...
Magna Scientia Advanced Biology and Pharmacy
Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure... more Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure is frequently used for growing various plants. However, the extent to which variations in proportions of these substrates affect growth and yield is not known. The study was conducted at the University of Namibia, Ogongo campus during the period April to August 2020 to determine optimum mixing ratios for sandy, Acacia erioloba soil and goat manure on the growth and yield of Swiss chard. Treatments were Sandy, Acacia soil and goat manure mixed in 5 different ratios of respectively; 1:2:1; 2:3:2; 1:1:1, 2:1:2, 1:1:2 and Acacia soil (control). Samples from each mixture used for pot filling were taken to the soil laboratory for textural analysis. A complete randomized experiment with 8 replications was laid under the University’s shade house. Measured parameters were plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry matter weight and chlorophyll content. Results showed that media was significantly dif...
Agronomy
The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Sa... more The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Saharan Africa, owing to the prevailing low precipitation conditions. Most fields supporting crop production in northern Namibia are located in a network of seasonal wetlands. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ridging and fertilizer application on the yield and the growth of pearl millet in the seasonal wetlands under different rainfall conditions. The study was conducted for two years (2017–2018) in the experimental fields in northern Namibia, and yield, yield components, and growth parameters were evaluated in relation to the application of different fertilizers (manure and mineral) with and without ridge-furrows. Manure fertilizer application presented the highest yield in 2018, whereas mineral fertilizer application showed the highest yield in 2017. The proportion of rainfall was the highest during the mid-growth period in 2017, and the reproductive stage in 2...