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The Lira University Institutional Repository is a digital platform for collecting, preserving, and disseminating the intellectual and scholarly output of the University.

It provides access to theses, dissertations, journal articles, conference papers, learning materials, reports, university publications, and other research outputs produced by the Lira University community.

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Recent Submissions

Situational Analysis of Abiotic and Biotic Factors Influencing Abundance of Tissue Culture and Non-Tissue Culture Bananas In Smallholder Farms in Western Uganda
(African Journal of Food,Agriculture,Nutrition and Development, 2022) Murongo, M.Flarian; Ayuke, O.F.; Mwine, TJ
Bananas are, in Uganda primarily, grown for domestic consumption and regional trade. Production is constrained by several factors such as declining soil fertility, pests and disease, and erratic rainfall. Tissue culture banana were introduced partly to solve some of the challenges in banana production, though uptake of such technologies by smallholder farmers is still low. A survey on plant parasitic nematodes, banana weevils, and selected soil factors was done to analyse their effect on the abundance of tissue culture banana (TCB) and non-tissue culture banana (NTCB). Soil and banana root samples were collected from heterogeneous on-farm orchard conditions in smallholder farms. Composite banana root samples and composite soil samples were collected from banana orchards already established by farmers. A total of 1,280 genets from 20 orchards were obtained. Composite soil samples were analysed for pH, potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and organic matter. Endo-parasitic Helicotylenchus multinctus, Platylenchus goodeyi, Radopholous similis and Meloidogyne spp were isolated from the composite root samples. Banana weevils were captured using the disc-on-stamp and split-pseudo stem traps. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) and logistic regression were run to ascertain the relationship between variations in biotic [Nematodes and weevils] and abiotic [pH, K, Av.P, N, and OM] factors affecting the abundance of the banana type. Canonical eigenvalues showed that both biotic and abiotic variables significantly affected the abundance of TCB and NTCB banana types. Abundance of TCB was influenced by the banana weevil (P<0.05) than it was by nematodes in the same farmers’ fields. Infestation with nematodes for TCB and NTCB banana types was not different (P<0.05). The banana weevils were significantly (P<0.05) distributed within the districts. Relative abundances for the pH, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen (%), organic matter (%) within districts were significant (P<0.05). Variations in soil pH and nitrogen availability resulted in significant interactions (P<0.05) that affected the abundance of the TCB types more than their contribution to the abundance of NTCB. The awareness that the interactions between nematodes, banana weevils, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and pH determine the abundance of banana types is important in shaping the adoption and production of the adopted banana technology. Mitigation of acidic pH, K, Av.P, N, and OM for soil fertility and reduction of the abundance of nematodes and weevils below the threshold will enhance banana production among small holder farmers in Uganda.
Potential of termite mounds and its surrounding soils as soil amendments in smallholder farms in central Uganda
(BMC Research Notes, 2020) Apori, Samuel Obeng; Murongo, M. Flarian; Hanyabui, Emmanuel; Atiah, Kofi; Byalebeka, John
Objectives: The low fertility of highly weathered soils has been a major problem for resource-constrained smallholder farmers. In central Uganda, smallholder farmers have been collecting termite mound soils anywhere around the termite mound to improve their soil fertility. However, no studies have been conducted on which sections of the termite mounds consist of high soil nutrients. This study was conducted to assess selected major soil essential plant nutrients of soils collected from the top of the mound (TPMS), and the basal part of the mound (BPMS). The surrounding soil samples were collected from five, fifteen, and thirty meters away from the mound (TMSS1, TMSS2, and TMSS3 respectively), covering ten termite mounds in five different maize fields in central Uganda. Results: TPMS and BPMS had significant (P-value < 0.05) higher N, P, K, OC, Ca and Mg levels than TMSS1, TMSS2, and TMSS3. However, OC levels in BPMS was higher than TPMS. On the whole, termite mounds are beneficial as a source for essential plant nutrients. It will be best if smallholder farmers could collect the termite mound soils from the top and the basal part of the mound to improve the fertility of their soil.
Potential of Coffee Grounds as a Sandy Soil Amendment and its Effect on Growth and Fruit Quality of Strawberry
(International Journal of Formal Sciences: Current and Future Research Trends (IJFSCFRT), 2023) Nababia, Joyce; Murongo, M. Flarian; Apori, Samuel Obeng; Balde, Issa; Ssemakula, Joseph
Coffee grounds are discarded as solid waste in landfills which makes them an environmental hazard since it contains great quantities of caffeine and tannins. The efficiency of coffee grounds use in sandy soils is still scientifically unsupported and still lacks confirmation on its effect on fruit crops. The study aimed at assessing the potential of Coffee grounds (fresh FCG vs. composted CCG) as a sandy soil amendment and its effect on strawberry growth and fruit quality. The experimental design was a two factorial design conducted in a green house in a Randomized Block Design. Treatment ratios were 3kg of sandy soil as constant mixture with 1kg and 2kg of Coffee Grounds (composted and fresh) and control (Co), replicated 16 times for each treatment. The sandy soil nutrient content (N, P, K, Mg and Ca levels) were significantly high (P-value < 0.05) in CCG (2kg) and FCG (2kg) than in the FCG (1kg), CCG (1kg) and control (Co) at post-harvest analysis. Both CCG treatments produced strawberry plants with highest germination percentage and seed vigour indexat 14 days after planting. FCG treatments inhibited plant growth in the first 2 weeks after planting which improved greatly thereafter with no significant difference with the CCG treatments in plant vegetative growth by week 12. CCG (2kg) produced the best significant value for total number of fruits at 86.33 and fruit weight at 7.907. The FCG (2kg) and CCG (2kg) had the highest titratable acidity, soluble sugars and total soluble solids. CCG (2kg) had the highest mean value at 64.61 of ascorbic acid.This study delivered new understanding that experimental treatment of composted coffee grounds in rates of (2kg) gave significantly better results for strawberry in sandy soils compared to the lower rates of (1kg) and the control treatments.
Impacts on access to factors of production among smallholder farmers in central Uganda during COVID-19 lockdown
(African Journal of Agricultural Research, 2021) Mbugua, Beatrice Wamuyu; Obeng, Samuel Apori; Murongo, M. Flarian; Opoku-Agyemang, Williams; Hanyabui, Emmanuel; Fall, Abdoulaye Fofana
The novel coronavirus 2019 which has brought about the covid 19 pandemics has hit the whole world starting from the super economies to underdeveloped economies. The impacts are being felt hard in developing countries whose economy relies on agriculture especially Sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda is amongst the countries in Africa which observed the longest period of total confinement during the Covid 19 outbreak. Hence this study aimed at the impact of Covid 19 total lockdown on labour availability, land accessibility and market access among smallholder farmers in Masaka district in Uganda. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from ninety smallholder farmers in the Masaka district. The findings of the study indicated that 75.6 and 73.3% of the respondents were not able to access labour and their farms, respectively while all the respondents were not able to acquire farm inputs for their farming activities. Also, 74.4% of the respondents were able to sell some of their farm produce during the COVID-19 total lockdown at a low price.
Spatio-temporal distribution of banana weevil Cosmopolites Sordidus [Germar] and nematodes of various genera in Uganda: A case of smallholder banana orchards in Western Uganda
(Journal of Ecology and The Natural Environment, 2019) Murongo, M. Flarian; Ayuke, O. Frederick; Mwine, T. Julius; Wangai, K. John
Smallholder farmers’ banana orchards in Western Uganda were used to study the spatio-temporal factors influencing the distribution of banana weevils and parasitic nematodes in tissue culture and non-tissue culture banana types using Nested case control design. Nematodes were extracted from randomly collected composite banana root samples from 20 banana orchards. The banana weevils were trapped in the rainy and dry seasons. A total of 1,280 banana genets were surveyed to determine weevil and nematode densities. Interactions between season and locations with high banana weevils and nematodes densities significantly negatively influenced the distribution of tissue culture and non-tissue culture banana in space and time. Both tissue culture and conventional bananas are prone to banana weevil and nematode infestations. Infestation with weevils and nematodes were higher for tissue culture banana in the dry season. Kiruhura district had a higher density for banana weevils (Cosmopolites sordidus [germar]) while Ibanda district had higher nematode densities. Helicotylenchus multicinctus and Radopholus similis were found most prevalent. This knowledge is not only important in shaping the adoption and sustenance of the adopted banana types, but also can form a basis for developing affordable strategies to lower the occurrence of banana weevil and nematodes below the threshold level in smallholder banana farms of Uganda.