Technical reports
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://kalroerepository.kalro.org/handle/123456789/13970
Browse
Browsing Technical reports by Issue Date
Now showing 1 - 20 of 109
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Collected Records Relating to Insect Migration(1928) Williams, C.B.; East African Agricultural Research Station, Amani, Tanganyika.In continuation of my policy of putting on record the largest possible number of facts relating to insect migration, on which alone can a satisfactory study of the subject be based, I give below a series of new observations that have come to my knowledge since the preparation of my last paper in the Bull. Soc. Roy. Ent. Egypte, 1926 (1927), pp. 224-256. A few of the observations are my own, but the majority have been sent in by correspondents, whom I take this opportunity of thanking.Item Some Weights of African and of Wintering Palsearctic Birds(1932) Moreau, R.E.; East African Agricultural Research Institute AmaniWeights are given for 132 species of African birds and 15 species of Palsarctic birds (collected in winter quarters). For three African species the data admit of some discussion. Apalis m. mhnocephah from 2900–3600 feet are significantly heavier than those from 200–1200 feet. In the Weavers Xitagra n. nigriceps and Xanthophilus aureojlavus breeding and non-breeding males do not differ in weight. In the Palsarctic migrants it seems that there may be a tendency for most species to weigh less in winter quarters than in Europe.Item Derris Agronomy: An Annotated Bibliography and a Critical Review(1944) Moreau, R.E.; East African Agricultural Research Institute, AmaniThe published data, with the addition of some unpublished for East Africa, are reviewed under the following heads: selection and breeding (with a table showing the toxic contents attained); variability; climate and derris; shade: the age for harvesting; root character and toxicity; the effect of manuring: yields and spacing: propagation by cuttings: staking; pests and diseases: histology and bio- chemistry of rotenone in derris plants. On the whole results and opinions are remarkably inconclusive and conflicting. There is a wide field for carefully planned experimentation. The Tanga Province of Tanganyika Terri- tory is at present practically the only producer of high-grade derris root in the British Empire. Production and prospects elsewhere are mentioned. The Tanganyika derris industry is based on clonal material of D. elliptica Changi type, with satisfactory toxic content, but not nearly so good as the more recent selections in Java and Malaya. Commercial production in Tanganyika is all in climates cooler or drier, or both, than thought desirable in the Far East. Maturation is much slower than elsewhere, so that harvesting is not recommended before 30 months, compared with 18-24 elsewhere. Excellent yields have been obtained on soils, as well as in climates, that would, on experience elsewhere, be classed as unfavourable.Item Some Recent Terms and Tendencies in Bird Taxonomy(1947) Moreau, R.E. ; Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoological Field Studies, OxfordA brief critical discussion is provided of recent views on, and definitions of, the genus, species, subspecies and intermediate categories, especially the superspecies, semi species, cenospecies and interspecies. The last two terms are rejected. The difficulties of subspecific taxonomy are considered.Item Research On Agriculture In Semi-Arid Regions(1949) Glover, J.; Storey, H.H.; Agriculture and Forestry Research Organisation, East African High Commission, Nairobi, Kenya.There is need to extend agriculture in the semi-arid regions of Africa. It can only succeed if special methods and crop plants are used. We suggest that an assessment of our present knowledge on these points and of the directions in which research should proceed is desirable. Lines of research indicated are studies by plant physiologists and soil physicists on water-soil-plant relationships and by plant-breeders on drought-resisting or -evading grain plants and grasses. Certain initial work bearing on both has been done by the East African Agriculture and Forestry Research Organisation and a programme on the former is being planned. Con- currently, technological research will be needed on new or existing dry-land experimental stations. The world demand for food and living space is everywhere increasing the pressure on the marginal agricultural lands. Among these are the vast, empty "semi-arid" regions which cover so much of Africa. It has often been suggested that these semi-arid regions should be used for agriculture; and the idea is attractive since they often have high average annual rainfall by comparison with some regions where agriculture is successfully practised.Item An Annotated List of East African Forest Insects(East African Agriculture and Forestry Research Organization, 1950) Gardner, J.C.M.; East African Agriculture and Forestry Research Organization; East African Agriculture and Forestry Research OrganizationThis list is based on a survey of forest insects started in 1950 when the writer commenced work; the survey will of course be continuous and will become more quantitative in the course of time. J. O. Evans and S. J. Curry, Forest Department, Kenya (from 1953) did much collecting and the Forest Departments of Uganda and Tanganyika each deputed two African collectors to assist.Item Conference on the Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Aspects of Food Production in East Africa(1954) Cohen, A.; Standing Advisory Committee for Medical Research in East Africa, at Makerere College, Kampala, UgandaConference on the Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Aspects of Food Production in East AfricaItem Conference on the Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Aspects of Food Production in East Africa(1954) Standing Advisory Committee for Medical ResearchIt gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome the delegates to this Conference, both those from Uganda and those from the other territories.Item Notes on East African Aphids VI- Cereal and Crass Root-Feeding Species(1954) Eastop, V.F.; East African Agriculture and Forestry Research OrganizationAbout 15 cereal and grass feeding aphids are known to occur in East Africa. Five of them live only at or below soil level and these are described here, together with a few other species that may have been overlooked in the past or be introduced in the future. There is little information about the economic importance of grass and cereal root aphids in the Old World, but in America several species are recognized as pests. The root aphids may be divided into two groups. The sub-family Eriosomatince contains white, very pale green, pale yellow or pink aphids, with short antennw, the last segment of which has only a short processus terminalis (Figs. A-N), whose adult apterx and immature stages of all forms have eyes of only three facets, whose siphunculi are small or absent and the winged forms of which have the media of the forewing unbranched. The second group comes in the sub-family Aphidince and resembles the ordinary" greenfly" in having longer antennw with a slender processus terminalis (Figs. PZ), siphunculi elongate, all stages of all forms with large compound eyes and the alatee have the media of the brewing once or twice forked. These aphids may be of various colours but are not white, very pale green or yellow or completely pink like the Eriosomatimr. Ancecia, a genus of the sub-family Thelaxince, contains wheat, barley and grass root-feeding aphids with black adult apterx and white larvw. The antennw and eyes are similar to those of the Eriosomatince, but the genus may be recognized by the presence of flat cone-like siphunculi and conspicuous lateral abdominal tubercles which are absent in grass root-feeding Eriosomatince, first tarsal segments with seven hairs and with 12 to 20 hairs on the second antennal segment. The media of the forewing of the alatx is once forked. Ancecia is not known from East Africa but is recorded from Egypt, Europe, Asia and North America.Item Notes from the East African Herbarium: IV(1956) Verdcount, B.; East African HerbariumThe holotypes of the species described in the present notes are deposited in the East African Herbarium and in every case, isotypes have been sent to Kew and in many cases also to other institutions. Particular mention must be made of the very excellent work of Dr. W. J. Eggeling, lately Chief Conservator of Forests, Tanganyika and his staff (particularly Mr. S. Semsei) who have in a few years discovered an amazing number of plants either new to Tanganyika or entirely new to science. It will take many years to work out the apparently new species found by these collectors. Some of their most important finds are numerous species known previously only from the type specimens, some of which have been destroyed in the Second World War.Item The First East African Herbicide Conference V - The Weed Problem in East Africa with Particular Reference to Cereals(1957) Cunningham-van Someren, G.R.; Fisons Pest Control (E.A.) Ltd., Nairobi, KenyaA review in which various weed species are named. Appendices list some East African weeds giving common and botanical names; major weed species of cereals and maize in the Kenya Highlands and the Northern Province of Tanganyika; weeds which cause difficulties in mechanical harvesting; and poisonous weeds. - D.M.L.S.Item General Aspects of Chemical Weed Control in Tropical and Sub-Tropical Countries.(1957) Pfeiffer R.K.; Chesterfield Park Research Station, Fisons Pest Control Ltd., Essex, EnglandWeed control in general is discussed with emphasis on the use of selective herbicides, and it is contended that in tropical agriculture weeds are more important as a limiting factor than in temperate climates and often present a greater problem than pests and diseases.Item The First East African Herbicide Conference VI - The Chesterford Logarithmic Sprayer(1957) Gregory, P.; Chesterford Park Research Station, Fisons Pest Control LtdThe thorough evaluation of herbicides is normally a long and tedious process involving the application of a range of dosage rates upon separate plots of crop and weed. It is usually necessary to spray a large number of replicated plots, and this is a time and labour consuming operation.Item Notes from the East African Herbarium: VI(1958) Verdcourt, B.; East African HerbariumThis robust climber has not been recorded from East Africa before. It may be an introduction from the Mascarenes but it might just possibly be native, though such a conspicuous plant could hardly be overlooked.Item Notes from the East African Herbarium: IX(1958) Hutchinson, J.B.; Lee, B.J.S.; Cotton Research Station, Namulonge, UgandaIn June, 1955, in a collection of plants sent by Mr. H. J. de S. Disney to the East African Herbarium for naming, was a wild cotton that appeared to be distinct from anything hitherto recorded in Africa. The specimen was sent on to the Cotton Research Station, Namulonge, for naming, and Mr. Disney kindly provided seed which he had had the forethought to collect when he collected the specimen.Item Notes from the East African Herbarium: VII(1958) Verdcourt, B.; East African HerbariumNearly 100 species of this large genus are native to, or commonly naturalised in East Africa. Besides remarks concerning the nomenclature of many of these, information about species from other parts of Africa is included. I have already made some remarks about the difficult question of the division of the genus into sections. Mr. Bullock has since pointed out to me a serious omission in my remarks: I had overlooked a much earlier selection of Ipomoea pes-tigridis L. as the type species of Ipomoea, made by House in 1908.Item Trichotylenchus Falciformis N.G., N.SP. (Belonolaiminae N. Subfam.: Tylenchida Thorne, I949) An Associate of Grass Roots (Hyparrhenia Sp.) in Southern Tanganyika(1959) Whitehead, A.G.; East African Agriculture and Forestry Research Organisation, Kenya, AfricaTrichotylenchus falciformis n.g. n.sp. is described, figured and put into the new subfamily Belonolaiminae. The spear base is split slightly, each arm bearing a rounded, basal knob. The head is cap-like with four lips, each with about four annules. The tail in both sexes is about six anal-body-widths long with the phasmids behind the mid-point of the tail. The lateral fields have three incisuresv the posterior part of the oesophagus overlaps the intestine as a glandular lobe. The ovaries are paired, outstretched and opposed; spermathecae are present; the vulva is median. The nematode occurred around roots of the grass Hyparrhenia sp. in Tanganyika. Belonolaimus is designated type genus of Belonolaiminae which is defined. J. B. Goodey.Item Practical Aspects of Field Experimentation in Africa(1960) Pereira, H.C.; Vernon, A.J.; East African Agriculture and Forestry Research Organization, Muguga, Kenya and Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts.This is a brief survey of some of the points which most need attention in field experimental work under African conditions, where many experiments are carried out by isolated officers who have little chance of discussion with technical colleagues. Many of the points appear quite obvious when listed, but a very great deal of time, enthusiasm and resources have been expended fruitlessly in African territories because such conditions have been overlooked or ignored.Item Studies with Rinderpest Virus ill Tissue Culture III. The Stability of Cultured Virus and its Use in Virus Neutralization Tests(1961) Plowright, W.; Ferris, R.D; East African Veterinary Research OrganizationThe stability of cultured rinderpest virus, in maintenance medium containing 5% normal ox serum, was studied at 4°, 37°, and 56° C. The half-life at these temperatures was calculated and the results compared with figures available for other strains of rinderpest virus in cattle tissues and for measles virus in tissue culture fluids. Data were also provided on the freezing of the same virus at _25° C and _70° C, with storage for periods of up to four months. The accuracy of replicate virus titrations, in primary or serially-cultivated calf-kidney cells, was determined. Details were given of tissue culture techniques for the detection and titration of neutralizing antibody to rinderpest virus in the sera of animal especially cattle. Box titrations of a standard ox immune serum showed that a 1 log increase in virus dose lowered the SN 50 titre of the serum by a mean 0.56 log units. The error in replicate titrations of two standard immune Hera, using different batches of calf-kidney cells as substrate, was determined. The effect of normal ox serum on rinderpest virus was investigated and the sera of over 3.000 experimental cattle were examined by a "screening" test for immunity. There were no false positives and only 0.25% of the serologically-negative cattle gave later evidence of resistance to challenge. Tissue culture techniques for the detection and titration of rinderpest neutralizing antibody are briefly compared with the methods hitherto available.Item Agricultural Research Programme 1965(ministry of Agriculture, 1965) Ministry of Agriculture; Peeler, C. H.I forward herewith a copy of the Kenya Government, Research Division, Agricultural Research Programme f or 1965.
