UNESWA 50-50 Commemoration Journal

EVALUATION OF STEM BORER SPECIES DIVERSITY AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE FALL ARMYWORM STRAIN IN CEREAL CROPS AND SUGARCANE FIELDS OF SWAZILAND

2020-03-12T17:04:05+02:00

Lepidopterous stem borers constitute one of the major constraints to cereal and sugarcane production in Swaziland and the invasive fall armyworm is also becoming a major threat to maize production in the country. Valid identification of these pests is vital for the development of effective and sustainable pest management programmes. In this study geographical populations of Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and cereal stem borers collected during surveys conducted in the year 2017 were identified using sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase I (COI) gene. Phylogenetic analyses and percentage sequence divergence of the collected specimens revealed that cereals and sugarcane in the country are attacked by four species of stem borers [(Busseola fusca Fuller (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae), Sesamia calamistis Hampson (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Eldana saccharina Walker (epidoptera: Pyralidae)] and a single strain (Rice Strain) of fall armyworm. These information could be used in future studies on migration pattern, host range and natural enemy of the pests that are vital for developing sound and sustainable fall armyworm and/or stem borer management programs.

AN ANNOTATED BIO-BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE LITERATURE OF ESWATINI (SWAZILAND)

2020-03-12T17:04:05+02:00

The aim of this research proposal has been to address the absence of an up to date and detailed bibliographic record of Eswatini (Swaziland) literary production. To this end, an international interdisciplinary team made up of researchers from the Department of African Languages and Literature, UNISWA library, and the English Department at Acadia University, Canada have collaborated to produce an exhaustive annotated bibliography of the Kingdom’s prose fiction, drama, poetry, and other forms of creative writing in English and siSwati. UNISWA students who were hired gained valuable skills in document identification and retrieval, as well as engaging with and analysing texts. Hundreds of texts discovered in libraries and archives in Eswatini (Swaziland) and South Africa were scrutinized, along with local newspapers and magazines, to produce the final result: An Annotated Bio-bibliography of the literature of Eswatini (Swaziland) housed on a digital platform

THE EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY POLICE IN SWAZILAND

2020-03-12T17:04:05+02:00

This article examines on the emergence and development of the Community Police in Swaziland in the early 1990s. The main argument of this paper is that the formal development of community policing in Swaziland in the early 1990s is related to transitions that took place in the Southern African region from belligerency to peace. Historical scholarship has not critically and thoroughly explored this important development in the history of security governance in postcolonial Swaziland. The study methodology is essentially qualitative and the author used newspaper reports, official documents, one-on-one and focused group interviews.

AWARENESS, SOURCES AND CHALLENGES FACED BY CASSAVA PRODUCERS IN ESWATINI

2020-03-12T17:04:05+02:00

Food shortage has been a problem in Swaziland (now Eswatini) due to many factors not limited food base. A study on cassava production in Eswatini was conducted to determine awareness of producers and non-producers, sources of awareness of cassava cultivation and challenges faced in cassava cultivation. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 441 respondents consisting of 195 cassava producers and 246 non-producers. A valid and reliable (r=.89) questionnaire was used to collect data. Findings of the study revealed that both cassava producers and non-producers were aware of cassava cultivation but one non-producer claimed not to be aware. The major sources of information included: other farmers, neighbours and friends, radio, Extension agents from NGOs and Government Extension Agents. Cassava producers encountered many challenges in cassava cultivation mainly: harvesting energy demand, pest infestation (cassava mosaic, mealy bug and caterpillars), non-availability of planting material, mechanization of planting, non-availability of market, burrowing animals eat tubers, and bacterial blight disease. The conclusion was that producers including nonproducers were aware of cassava production mainly through informal sources and less from Government Extension agents. It was recommended that Government Extension Agents should strengthen their educational effort to educate farmers in order to address some of the challenges and motivate them to engage in cassava production and change their attitude towards cassava cultivation.

CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE: INCREASING CROP YIELDS ONFARM THROUGH USE OF SUNNHEMP (Crotalaria juncea L.) PHASE 2. RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF SUNNHEMP ON SUCCEEDING MAIZE CROP

2020-03-12T17:04:05+02:00

Agriculture in Swaziland, like elsewhere in the region, faces a number of challenges like stagnant agricultural yields, land degradation and poor access to farm inputs. Climate-smart agriculture is an approach to developing the technical, policy and investment conditions to achieve sustainable agricultural development for food security under climate change. A field experiment was established in the 2015/2016 cropping and was continued in the 2016/2017 cropping season. The main objective of the study was to increase crop production on-farm by using green manure crops instead of commercial fertilisers, whose manufacturing process contribute to climate change and climate variability, through the emission of greenhouse gases. The treatments in the 2016/2017 season were; (1) Maize monocrop; no fertiliser. (2) Sunnhemp monocrop at 80 kg/ha. (3) Maize monocrop with fertiliser; applied 300 kg/ha of 2-3-2 (22) and 200 kg/ha of LAN (4) Maize and sunnhemp intercropped, no fertiliser to maize, sunnhemp seed rate is 40 kg/ha; both crops allowed to mature and crop residue are returned to the soil after harvest (5) Maize and sunnhemp intercropped, no fertiliser to maize, sunnhemp seed rate is 60 kg/ha; both crops allowed to mature and crop residue are returned to the soil after harvest. The results show that sunnhemp in monoculture was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in dry mass with 4391 kg/ha at 10 weeks after planting while sunnhemp intercropped with maize was lowest with 2764 kg/ha. The results also show that sunnhemp yield was not significantly different among the different treatments. Maize grown in monoculture with the application of synthetic fertilisers yielded significantly (P < 0.05) higher with 3800 kg/ha. Maize grown in monoculture without fertiliser followed with 3367 kg/ha while maize intercropped with 40 kg/ha of sunnhemp was lowest with 1067 kg/ha. The land equivalent ratio in this experiment was positive at 1.58. It is concluded that the residual effects of a previous sunnhemp crop did not contribute significantly to maize performance in the current season. It is recommended that the experiment be continued on a long term basis as benefits of green manures need progressive cropping seasons.

CHARACTERISATION OF MULTIVARIATE TRAITS IN SWAZI INDIGENOUS GOATS

2020-03-12T17:04:06+02:00

Swazi goats from two different regions in Swaziland kept in communal systems were characterised based on phenotypic measurements. Objective measurements for 200 goats included body weight (BW), abdominal circumference (AC), body length (BL), chest circumference (CC), face length (FL), neck circumference (NC), neck length (NL), rump height (RH) and height at withers (HW), while qualitative traits included coat colour, coat texture and presence or absence of horns. Seven coat colours were observed across both regions. Goats with straight coat texture (82%), short hair length (68%) and with horns (84%) were predominantly more. Goats in Manzini region had the lower BW, AC, BL and CC (51.77±1.32, 61.77±1.32, 62.49±0.66, 57.96±1.18) than Shiselweni goats (53.09±1.01, 71.09±1.00, 73.67±0.94, 53.83±0.90). The study provided a reference for phenotypic and genetic diversity for Swazi goats useful for designing genetic strategies for improved production, food security and sustainable utilisation.

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SWAZILAND (UNISWA) STUDENTS TOWARDS HIV AND AIDS: A COMPARISON OF STATUS AT ENROLLMENT TO EXIT FROM UNISWA

2020-03-12T17:04:06+02:00

Despite decades that have passed after its discovery in 1981, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) continue to be the leading health problem globally, with the burden worse in Sub-Saharan Africa. As of the end of 2014, about 36.9 million people were living with HIV globally, out of which 25 million were in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS 2015). This has had a massive economic impact on the region and the world at large. According to UNAIDS (2015), up to about US$ 20.2 billion was devoted to the fight against AIDS in low-and middle-income countries at the end of 2014. This calls upon for more preventing measures, globally.

ANTIBACTERIAL AND COAGULANT PROPERTIES OF LOCALLY GROWN MORINGA SEEDS IN SWAZILAND

2020-03-12T17:04:06+02:00

Moringa oleifera is a tree that has many valuable properties including medicinal and nutritive properties. Different parts of the plant have been found to possess important antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The current study investigated the coagulant and antimicrobial properties of moringa seeds on raw water. The seeds were collected from the highveld, middleveld, and lowveld areas of Swaziland. The coagulant and antimicrobial properties were determined by adding either an aqueous solution of moringa seed powder or the powder directly into raw water. The water was taken from Lobamba river and Mbekelweni dam. It was observed that using an aqueous solution containing 200mg/L moringa seed powder was not effective in treating the water. Both turbidity and Escherichia coli counts remained high after 22h of contact. After adding the moringa powder directly into the raw water, the turbidity was significantly reduced after 7h contact at a concentration of 0.2g/L moringa powder. The turbidity was reduced to less than 5NTU, the recommended WHO limit for safe drinking water. Higher amounts of moringa seed resulted in increased turbidity, which did not settle even after 7h contact time. E. coli counts remained high in the treated water (>200 MPN/100mL) at all concentrations of moringa seed powder used even after 22h contact time. Safe drinking water should not have viable E. coli. Microbial counts (MPN/100mL) between 100 and 1000 are considered high risk in drinking water. It can be concluded that moringa seed has some coagulant properties which may be suitable for treating raw water. However, the seeds did not exhibit antimicrobial properties. The treated water was not suitable for drinking because of the high microbial load.