Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium that is often encountered in urinary tract infection (UTI) worldwide and has shown varied antibiotic susceptibility patterns. This study was therefore designed to ascertain the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the organism in Jos. Data on antimicrobial susceptibility of P. aeruginosa generated from urine samples by the Microbiology laboratory of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) was compiled for a period of three years (July 2001-June 2004. Additional information was obtained from the records department of the hospital. Samples were collected, stored and processed using standard laboratory procedures. The rate of isolation of P. aeruginosa from urine samples was found to be 4.6% (n=127) from 12,458 samples. From male population 34% (n=43) were isolated and 66% (n=84) were recovered from females population with a significant (P < 0.05) gender difference. All the 100% isolates of P. aeruginosa were resistant to penicillin, cloxacillin, tetracycline, nitrofurantoin and nalidixic acid. While 67% were sensitive to augmentin, sensitivity to ofloxacin was 92%, ciprofloxacin 92% and cefuroxime (86%). The resistance pattern of P. aeruginosa from urine against antibiotics was extremely high. Prophylactic antibiotic medication against UTI should be carefully weighed against this undesirable possible outcome (resistance). Susceptibility testing should be adopted as a basic routine laboratory procedure in hospitals and clinics in order to guide appropriately on the right choice of antibiotics. Finally, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and cefuroxime should be considered on isolation of P. aeruginosa from UTI, especially in the absence of a sensitivity report as well as for prophylactic options.

Abstract. In 2017 and 2018 cropping season, field experiment was conducted at the Food and Agricultural Organization and Tree Crop Plantation, Department of Crop Science, Adamawa State University, Mubi using fifteen genotypes of West African okra. The study was undertaken to study the emergence rate of seedlings from hard okra seed coats, seedling growth and their development. The seeds of the genotypes were soaked in NaCl solution for 24 hours to accelerate the breaking of seed dormancy and to ease seed germination. Tough seed coat usually impairs seed germination by establishing a permeability barrier which can interrupt water uptake required for imbibition, radicle and seedling emergence. The combined analysis results revealed a highly significant (P≤0.01) difference among these genotypes with respect to days to first and 50% flowering including days to first harvest. Furthermore, accession 3 (NG/SA/DEC/07/0448) and accession 11 (Yar kwadon) flowered earlier, had shortest days to first harvest, recorded the highest number of seedlings and emergence percentage than the other genotypes studied.

Abstract. Thirty-six entries of a half diallel cross were evaluated at the Teaching and Research Farm, Adamawa State University, Mubi in 2012 and 2013 under rain fed conditions. The investigation was conducted to study inter-character correlations and path coefficient analyses of yield related traits in West African okra. Fresh pod yield exhibited highly significant (P≤0.01) positive correlation with pods/plant, pod length, branches/plant, pod diameter and leaves/plant. Pod length recorded a highly significant positive correlation with plant height, pod diameter, number of leaves/plant, branches/plant and pods/plant. Similarly, pod diameter had a highly significant positive correlation with plant height, number of leaves, branches and pods/plant. Furthermore, number of pods/plant and branches/plant recorded highly significant positive correlation among yield related traits except plant height. The path coefficient analysis of fresh pod yield and yield related traits showed that number of pods/plant gave the highest direct contribution and percentage yield contribution of 47.83%, followed by pod diameter which contributed 4.58%. Also the highest combined contribution of 14.43% came from pods/plant and pod diameter. Residual percentage contribution was 30.64% revealing that pod yield attributes in this study explained 69.36%. This investigation suggests that pods/plant and pod diameter can be considered as selection criteria for the improvement of West African okra genotypes.

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Scarlet eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum [L.]) is an indigenous, underutilized fruit vegetable in Africa. Preference for fruit shape and size is high among growers and consumers. Fruit metric traits are important for yield improvement. Fruit metric descriptors are important contributors to variation, phenotypic and genotypic variation, and heritability. However, the measurement of these traits is cumbersome and subjective. Forty-three accessions were evaluated in 2016 and 2017. At maturity, 5 fruits were randomly harvested from each accession, digitalized and processed using the Tomato Analyzer software. Sixteen fruit metric traits were automatically generated and submitted for analysis of variance and multivariate analysis. The accessions differed over fruit size and shape due to genetic make-up. Fruit metric trait variation among S. aethiopicum groups was less influenced by the environment. The cv. Gilo group has oblong fruits, the cv. Shum group fruits are circular and ovoid; the cv. Kumba group fruits are less circular, lobed and flattened. AE/113 (C3), FUO 1 (C1) and FUO 5 (C2) Gilo groups are promising for fruit size. There were phenotypic plasticity and overlapping for fruit metric traits between the Gilo and Shum groups due to a common genome. The Tomato Analyzer software was able to discriminate accessions based on fruit phenomic traits, and the information could be used to establish commonalities between groups.