Background:The most limiting factors for sustainable maize production in smallholder farming systems of subSaharan Africa, especially the savanna agro-ecological zone, are erratic rainfall pattern and low soil fertility. Methods:Research was conducted with smallholder farmers in 2013 and 2014 in two communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana to evaluate the effects of NPK mineral fertilizer (64-38-38 kg ha −1 N-P 2 O 5 -K 2 O, respectively) on growth and yield of maize at Bompari, and 375 kg ha −1 of YaraLegume ™ fertilizer (0-18-13 NPK + 3 CaO + 2 MgO + 4 S) on growth and yield of soybean at Doggoh, under no-tillage (using pre-plant application of glyphosate) and conventional tillage (using hand hoe).Results: Mean grain yields of both maize and soybean were higher in 2014 than 2013. In both years, no-tillage and conventional tillage had similar effect on soybean plant height, pods per plant and aboveground dry matter production. Averaging over fertilizer treatment, grain yield of no-tillage soybean was 51% higher when compared with tilled soybean in 2014 only. Mean grain yield of no-tillage maize was 68% higher than that of tilled maize in 2013 only. Regardless of tillage method, fertilizer application significantly increased maize and soybean grain yields. Application of fertilizer to soybean resulted in 59% (193 kg ha ) increase in grain yields in 2013 and 2014, respectively, over no fertilizer treatment. Mean grain yield of maize was 140 and 252% higher with fertilizer treatment in 2013 and 2014, respectively. No-till system showed cost savings due to reduced labour mainly for weed control. Conclusion:The results of these studies showed that no-tillage with fertilizer, whether for maize or soybean, generally resulted in the highest grain yields. No-tillage also gave the highest economic returns. Farmers can get better returns to the money invested in herbicide for producing maize and soybean under no-till than with their traditional practice even on degraded savanna soils with low levels of plant available nutrients.

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The experiment was carried out to determine the effect of replacement of maize with sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas lam.) on growth performance and cost of feeding weaner rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). A total number of thirty-six (36) weaned rabbit of mixed sexes were used for the experiment. The rabbits were allotted randomly into four dietary treatments and replicated thrice with three rabbits per replicate and were designated: control (T): normal 1 compounded diet without sweet potato peel meal, T had the compounded feed which 5% 2 sweet potato peel meal, T had compounded diet with 10% sweet potato peel meal and 3 treatment four (T) had the compounded diet with 15% sweet potato peel meal. The 4 experiment lasted eight weeks and data were obtained on growth performance and cost benefit. The parameters considered on growth performance include initial weight, final weight, total body weight gain, daily weight gain, weekly weight gain, daily feed intake, total feed intake and feed conversion ratio while that of cost benefit include cost of purchasing different experimental feed stuff. The results obtained on growth performance showed that there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the parameters monitored. Cost of feeding was also not significantly different (p>0.05). However, higher profit index (174. 64) was recorded in T1 and lower benefit cost ratio (166.68) was recorded in T4 for total cost of feed intake per rabbit. In conclusion, sweet potato peel meal can be uses as a good replacement for maize in rabbit production without any adverse effect on the performance of rabbit.

Thirty six weaned mixed breed rabbits aged between 5 -6 weeks were used to investigate the growth performance and feeding cost of rabbits fed graded levels of oven dried poultry droppings. The rabbits were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments with three replicates and three rabbits per replicate in the ratio of 2:1 (2 females and I male) in a completely randomized design. poultry droppings were oven dried at 100 c, 80 c, 60 c, 40 c and incorporated at 0, 20, 40 and 60% levels of inclusion to replace ground nut in the compounded feed or experimental diets and designated as T1,T2 ,T3 and T4 respectively excluding treatment one (T1) . Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA. Growth performance performance of rabbits showed no significant (P>0.05) differences across the treatment groups. However highest average feed intake was recorded in T3 (40 %) inclusion level 473.60 g and the lowest in T3 (40 %) of 458.80 g. The result of cost of feeding revealed that as the inclusion level of oven dried poultry increased the cost of feeding rabbits reduces The trial revealed that oven dried poultry dropping can be used at 40 %level of inclusion in the rabbit dietwithout posing any threat to the animal.

The experiment was carried out to determine the carcass characteristics of weaned rabbits fed selected forages as feed supplement. A total number of thirty-six (36) weaned mixed breed of rabbits were allotted randomly to four (4) treatments with nine (9) rabbits per treatment and further replicated three (3) times with three rabbit per replicate and designated as Control (T1) concentrate plus (+) Amaranthus, (T2) concentrate plus (+) tridax, (T3) concentrate plus (+) fig leaves, (T4) concentrate plus (+) water melon waste. The experiment lasted for eight (8) weeks. Data were generated on carcass characteristics, internal organs, by-products. Results obtained revealed that the value of carcass traits, internal organs and by-products were not significantly (P>0.05) different for all the parameters obtained except for liver and lungs (internal organs), pelts (skin) and hind legs (by-products). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that T1 (concentrate plus Amaranthus), was better than other treatment groups and therefore can be used as supplement to concentrate feed.