Browsing by Author "Ibrahim, Joshua"

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    Appraising the Effect of Biocharin Groundnuts(Arachis hypogaea L) Growth Parameters and Yield Under Screen House Conditions
    (International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research and Engineering, 2024-06) Ibrahim, Joshua; Mbega, Ernest; Mkindi, Angela; Mushongi, Arnold; Nzilano, Billes
    Biochar soil amendment is known to suppress the effect of pathogenic fungi and favour plant resistance against soil‐borne pathogen effects. Thisstudy appraises the impact of biochar on groundnutyield planted in the slightly acidic sandy loam soil.Thestudy was done at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) screen house, where groundnuts wereplanted in the 2L pots filled with soil mixed with biochar at different rates (2.5%, 5% and 7.5%)in April 2022. Groundnut’sgrowth parameters weremanaged by measuring shoot lengthand root length, counting the number of leaves and taking leaf area once every week from the second week after planting to harvesting,where its yield was also measured. Analysis of variance showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in groundnut growth parameters and yield when 5% Biochar was used. There was a strong positive correlation between biochar and some groundnut growth parameters. No significant (P < 0.05) differencewas observed between Biochar and groundnut growth parameters and yield when 2.5% biochar was used. A slightly weak negative correlation was observed when a 7.5% Biocharrate was used. Biochar-amended soils indicated a dramatic increase in soil pH, CEC, Mn, P, K, Ca, B, Zn and Si. The current study indicates that the utilization of 5% maize cob biochar, pyrolyzed at 500°C, in acidic sandy loam soil,can lead to maximum enhancement in soil physical and chemical properties, as well as groundnut growth and yield parameters.
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    Integration of Biochar with AtoxigenicStrains ofA. flavusCan Effectively Control Aflatoxin Contamination in Groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)
    (International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research and Engineering, 2024-07) Ibrahim, Joshua; Mkindi, Angela; Mbega, Ernest; Mushongi, Arnold; Nzilano, Biles
    AnIn Vitro study conducted at the NM-AIST Laboratory in Arusha, Tanzania,investigated the efficacy of Biochar in managing aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts, both independently and in combination with Aflasafe. Various concentrations (2 X 102, 2 X 104, 2 X 106, and 2 X 108) of atoxigenic biocontrol strainsextracted from AflasafeTZ01were introduced to the groundnut grainstreated with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% maize cob Biochar. All groundnuts were inoculated with atoxigenic A. flavus(2 x 106) and incubated at 30°C for seven daysbefore aflatoxin quantification using HPLC. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) conducted on the data revealed a significant(P < 0.001) difference among the means in reducing aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2. Notably, there existed an inverse relationship between the concentration of Biochar and aflatoxin content, with the most substantial reduction observed at a 10% Biochar rate. Moreover, integrating Biochar with the Aflasafe biocontrol option further decreased aflatoxin contamination. For example, applying10% Biochar along with 2 x 106Aflasafe resulted in an impressive 99.99% reduction compared to the control. In comparison, using Biochar or Aflasafe alone led to reductions of 80.6% and 90%, respectively.These findings hold significant implications for the agricultural sector, suggesting that the strategic utilization of Biochar and Aflasafe can substantially mitigate aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts. This offers a promising solution to a significant food safety issue, providing hope for a safer and healthier food supply.