School of Biosciences (Biosciences)

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  • Item
    Perceptions of renewable energy and its utilization in urban and peri urban areas in Wakiso and Kampala districts.
    (Makerere University, 2014-05) Sekiziyivu, David
    Renewable energy has the potential for delivering socio-economic and environmental benefits to societies, and hence with the aim of providing affordable and reliable energy services as a contribution to poverty eradication, contributing towards development and enhancing the modernisation of biomass conversion technologies, Uganda launched a renewable energy policy in 2007. Social acceptance is among the factors which can determine successful outcomes for renewable energy projects, and, given the newness of the renewable energy industry in Uganda, this study enhances knowledge on how specific aspects of social acceptance, namely knowledge, perceptions and utilization, play out among local communities in in the country. Two communities, were interrogated using a survey technique in Kampala and Wakiso districts, areas where renewable energy projects are starting to be developed. This research found that fragmented knowledge around renewable energy exists, and that tertiary education, employment and income influence knowledge creation in the studied area. Perceptions around renewable energy were highly positive, yet people‟s ability to identify only economic benefits could introduce negative attitudes or conflicts in the future. This study provides unique insights into the relationship between renewable energy and local communities in in two areas in Uganda, calling for greater understanding of local social context, specifically communities and their social structures, in deployment of renewable energy technologies.
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    Diversity of tree and shrub species in Agali sub county- Lira district, Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2018-06) Otile, Vincent
    Information on woody species occurring in different habitats/areas is critical for sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation, and informing food security interventions. The aim of the study was to characterize the species richness, composition, diversity, structure, and distribution patterns of trees and shrubs in Agali sub County-Lira district. A survey of cultivated and non-cultivated areas was done, with a total sampled area of 2.4 ha (1.2 ha of each habitat type), at three Parishes (Abonborwot, Adyaka and Apanylongo) purposely selected from the six Parishes in the sub County. Sixty sample plots were established (30 plots, 20m x 20m in each habitat) systematically at 30m interval along a transect, 470m long. A total of 33 tree species and 27 shrub species belonging to 22 families were identified; Fabaceae was the most dominant family, followed by Combretaceae, Moraceae, and Verbenaceae, respectively. While, dominant tree species were Philiostigma thonningii and Combretum collinum in non-cultivated area, and in cultivated area were; Stereospermum kunthianum and Combretum collinum. In addition, the, the dominant shrub species was Dichrostachys cinerea, Acacia seyal and Lantana camara, and in non-cultivated area were Lantana camara and Senna spectabilis. The species of Lantana camara, Combretum collinum, Philostigma thonningii and Dichrostactys cinerea were the four dominant species in Agali sub County. Trees and shrubs were distributed differently in the two habitats. Species diversity was higher in non-cultivated area (H = 3.54) than in cultivated area (H = 3.28). DBH of 1367 recorded tree individuals ranged from 1-86 cm, with most individuals falling in small DBH categories (1-37cm) and a few individuals in big DBH categories (38-86cm). Interventions are suggested for increasing the currently very low woody plant density in Agali sub County through planting and managing natural regeneration, including invasive species management program; for improved farming system resilience in the face of climate change.
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    Cost benefit analysis of coffee growing in Mpogo Parish, Bukhulo Sub County in Sironko District
    (Makerere University, 2018-06) Ntalo, Tonny
    The study was carried out to analyse the cost and benefits of coffee growing in Mpogo parish. It also aimed at evaluating the contribution of coffee income to household income. To achieve this, descriptive survey which was qualitative and quantitative in nature was carried out using interview schedule and questionnaires as data collection instruments. Descriptive statistics,Gross margin=𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑒−𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠∗ 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠*100, Relative income =Annual coffee income/Total household income×100%. These were all used in analysing the data that was collected in the field. It was found out that the age of fifty five and above contribute much to coffee growing. It was also found out that men do a lot of coffee growing compared to women and the highly educated are not much involved in coffee growing compared to the uneducated and the less educated. According to the findings coffee contributes less household income compared to other agriculture activities. Coffee has a high gross margin and this could second its production as there are lots of profits. Labour contributes to the most costs in coffee production compared to other activities. Among the benefits that were found from coffee production include coffee husks used as manure, money for house construction, money for buying land, etc. I recommended that more land should be allocated for coffee production as it has high gross margin.
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    Prevalence of rift valley fever among ruminant animals in Busia district in Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2018-07) Tumwebaze, Violet
    Rift valley fever is a disease caused by a Phlebovirus affecting both humans and animals. During history the virus has caused outbreaks mainly in Africa, sometimes of severe nature. In the early 1930s, the virus was first discovered in the Rift valley in Kenya. The disease was initially described by sudden deaths of lambs and ewes on a Kenyan farm. Since then the virus has caused expensive epizootics referred to as abortion storms and high mortality rate among ruminants. In humans the virus causes a flulike disease, which can be associated with severe complications (Paweska et al., 2003). The aim of this study was to obtain data on the prevalence of Rift valley fever in ruminants (cattle, goat and sheep) of Busia district especially along the border, useful for the future projects. Across sectional survey in seven villages that is Buyuya, buhasoho, buyimin, buhumwa, Hadoda, Amunuoit and Akobwait in Busia District was done. Blood samples (cattle, goats and sheep) were collected and tested with ELISA for IgG antibodies against RVFV. 132 samples (82 cattle, 36 goats and 14 sheep) were collected. 20 animals were positive for IgG against RVF giving a total prevalence of 15.15%. In the 20 positive cases, 16 (82) were cattle, 4 (36) were goats and no sheep was positive. Among the 7 villages, Amunuoit showed the highest prevalence with 7 (19) hence 37% prevalence. Cattle showed the highest prevalence among the three species (cattle, goat and sheep) where 16 (82) were positive giving 18% prevalence. Also male animals showed the highest prevalence between the sex differences with 9 (37) hence 24% prevalence. Young animals showed the highest prevalence between the two age groups tested that is young (< 1year) and old (> 1year). From the breeds tested, RVF was prevalent in only local animals. A chi-square test was also done which showed that there was a significant difference in the prevalence of RVF of ruminant animals among villages (X2 = 21.68, p-value = 0.0014 and d.f = 6). In conclusion, there are cases of RVF among ruminant animals in Busia. However the prevalence is still low. Therefore it is recommended that surveillance should be done in order to control the spreading of the disease to other parts of the country. It is also recommended that a study with a larger sample size should be done since the current study covered only 132 samples because of limited funds.
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    Assessing the impact of crop raiding by African elephants (Loxadonta Africana) in Kibale National Park, Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2018-07-18) Ssesanga, Hamuza
    The major purpose of the sturdy was to assess the impact of crop raiding by African elephants around Kibale national park. The specific objective of the study was: to identify the types of crops most affected by African elephants, the under lying causes of crop raiding by African elephants and the effect of crop raiding by African raiding around Kibale national park. The study employed qualitative approach provided ways of diseering, examining, comparing and contrasting, and interpreting meaningful patterns or themes. Qualitative approach involved examining the assembled relevant data to determine how research questions were answered. Food shortages and loss of income caused by African elephants were not the only factors affecting people’s lively hoods other factors like high population growth, over dependence on subsistence farming among others. Livelihood was associated with food security, income of the household, leisure time of individuals and poor social relationship among neighbors. Farmers lose a lot of income per season due to raiding by African elephants around Kibale national park. So the study observed and concluded that crop raiding is the main cause of poverty among the people in Kabarore district. The study recommends that farms should be encouraged to concentrate on crops which are not prone (non palatable) to African elephants such as, onions, red appear, bee keeping, cotton, tea, tobacco and pastures as buffer crops and not affected by trampling. However these crops are mainly cash crops, which can create food insecurity and this, should be done carefully. In areas which are heavily infested with African elephants the farmers should be encouraged to practice cattle ranching, mixed farming and crop production as one moves away from forest edge or protected area . This will boost crop production as the ranches will buffer the intensity of crop raiding.
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    Documentation of the side effects of plants used in the treatment of diseases in Fort Portal, Western Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2018-07-28) Nabalayo Imani, Angel
    Ethno pharmacological relevance: The study was done to establish side effects of medicinal plants used in the treatment of various diseases by the people Fort portal in western Uganda. It was also aimed at establishing the plant parts used and the mode of preparation of remedies. These plants create a basis for phytochemical evaluation which can lead to the discovery of biologically active compounds that can be used as starting materials in the development of new drugs targeting selected diseases such as malaria. Materials and methods: The required information was obtained using open interviews, and semistructured questionnaires. Results: Different medicinal plants (67 species) distributed over 45 families were observed to be used by the local communities around Fort portal town. The plants as reported in this paper are used to treat 27 physical illnesses/diseases. The most used parts of the plants are the leaves. Water is the main medium used for the preparation of the remedies which are mostly administered orally. Conclusion: The people in the study area have a rich heritage of traditional plants that are used in the health care system to treat diseases. These medicinal plants have contributed significantly to several disease therapies. The most common diseases treated are malaria and cough, which are mostly treated by Vernonia amygdalina , Bidens pilosa, Psidium guajava and Manifera indica respectively
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    Effect of nitrogen fixing and phosphate solubilizing microorganisms on azolla biofertilizer and growth performance of amarathus.
    (Makerere University, 2018-08) Watera, Pearl Pauline
    Agriculture is of great essence in Uganda although there no production and yields due to the reduction in soil fertility which could be attribute to excessive use of chemical fertilizers or lack of access to fertilizers. The use of bio fertilizers is the best solution to combat this problem. This study was conducted to assess the effect of nitrogen fixing and phosphate solubilizing bacteria on Azolla bio fertilizer and the growth performance of Amaranthus. Triplicated of potted plants were grown in five different treatments Azolla, ANFB, APSB, APNB and NC which was just soil. Respectively in the greenhouse of the botanical gardens of Makerere University, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology. The plants were monitored and their height, surface area of leaves, and number of leaves were determined weekly for a period of four weeks in the different treatments and measured. Height, surface area and number of leaves were subjected to analysis in order to determine the significance of applying Azolla and the bacteria on the growth performance of Amaranthus plants at P=0.05. Significant differences were observed in available phosphorus and total nitrogen upon soil analysis. From the observed average means it was realized that a mixture of Azolla and the bacteria was effective in improving growth performance of the plants. Therefore with further studies and trials, these bio fertilizers substitute the use of inorganic fertilizer as a sustainable, eco-friendly and accessible input to improve and maintain soil fertility and health.
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    Status of the protection zone along River Manafwa, Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2018-08-13) Mukosha, Isaac
    Protection zones (riparian zones) are established and maintained under regulation 29 of environmental regulations 2000. These zones are to ensure that these (rivers) ecological systems are in healthy state. However, despite of having these regulatory policies in place, Rivers of Uganda are noted to face challenges of degradation like siltation, eutrophication, and detrimental flooding. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to examine the status of protection zone along river Manafwa. It achieved this objective by looking at I) percentage vegetation cover contributed by tree species and II) the extent of encroachment on the protected zone by cultivation activities. Fifteen line transects measuring one hundred meters were established on either side of the river in the area of study. And 150 sample units of quadrants measuring 10metres by 10metres were obtained for evaluation of vegetation percentage cover. On the same transects, a tape measure was drawn from the immediate waters to the cultivation activity. Thirty sample units were collected for the purpose of understanding the extent of encroachment. The results showed that the zones are poorly covered by vegetation (only 22.7% of every 10m*10m is covered by tree vegetation) and cultivation activities occur within a distance of 5 m from the riverbank instead of 100m which indicate heavy encroachment. It was also noted that the little vegetation cover was provided by only one exotic tree species (eucalyptus). The conclusion is therefore, the status of the protection zone of river Manafwa is poor and this could be the main cause of the problems rivers of Uganda are facing.
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    Spatial variability of dissolved organic carbon to nitrogen oxides ratio in the Nsooba-Lubigi channel
    ( 2019) Kabazzi, Tom
    Urban streams receive huge amounts of nutrients from land coming from domestic homes, agricultural fields and factories containing large amounts of nitrogen compounds and organic matter. Intermediate reactions of the denitrification process tend to produce NO2 which has a high global warming potential, its rate of production is affected by carbon to nitrogen ratio and dissolved oxygen. Nsooba-Lubigi channel transports heavily polluted waters which it collects from various slums around Kampala hence a potential source of NO2. During this research, samples were collected from seven sampling sites from the start of the channel in Kamwokya to its mouth in Bwaise and analysed for NOX--N, DO and DOC from which DOC: NOX--N was calculated for each site. Sampling, S1 had the highest ratio (1.92±0.06) while S3 had the lowest (0.12±0.01). S2 had the lowest DOC while S4 had the highest, NOX--N was generally low except for sampling sites S3 and S4. S1 and S4 had lower DO values than the other four sites. From the results, it shows that the channel has low DOC: NOx--N hence high denitrification rates. Therefore, Nsooba-Lubigi channel is a potential source of nitrous oxide gas.
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    A comparative phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of three pumpkin species
    (Makerere University, 2019) Daka, Anthony
    The present study of three Cucurbita species plant seed extract was done to screen the presence of phytochemicals like alkaloids, saponins, tannins, steroids glycosides, and flavonoids. The solvent used for the extraction was ethanol. The extracts were tested against Escherichia coli using the agar well diffusion method at two different concentrations. The ethanol extract from Cucurbita pepo showed strong inhibition compared to other extracts on E. coli.
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    Auto-oxidative changes in un-refrigerated goat meat
    (Makerere University, 2019) Nasaazi, Sharon
    Lipid peroxidation of biological samples may be assessed by different chemical and physical methods. However, those based on the measurement of malondialdehyde formed from the breakdown of endoperoxides during the last stages of the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acid, appear to be the most widely used. A simple and highly sensitive spectrophotometric method for determining thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) as a marker of lipid peroxidation in food was used in this study. The method is based on the reaction between malondialdehyde and thiobarbituric acid to form a pink chromogen whose absorbance can be determined spectrophotometrically at 532nm. The method was standardized using tetramethoxypropane (TMP) and the extent of lipid peroxidation was expressed as micromoles of MDA per g of goat meat. The extent of lipid peroxidation in both refrigerated at 40 C and un-refrigerated goat meat was investigated using this method. The results showed that there is more lipid peroxidation in the un-refrigerated goat meat compared to the refrigerated meat. The highest peroxide value was found in un-refrigerated goat meat after 5days.The levels of MDA in frozen goat meat remained low, however, fluctuated on different days.
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    The faecial contamination of silver cyprinid (rastrineobola argentea) sundried on nets laid on grass at Katosi landing site Mukono district
    (Makerere University, 2019) Asiimwe Barbra
    Rastrineobola argentea, a small pelagic fish known as the Silver cyprinid and commonly referred to as ‘Mukene’ ranks among the top three species landed from Lake Victoria. It is majorly preserved by sun drying on surfaces such as net- on grass, net- on ground and ranks with the commonly used being net-on grass. Studies show that this particular surface has higher microbial loads thus poses a high risk of contaminating the sun dried fish. This study evaluated whether the location of the nets on grass had a significant effect on the level of fecal contamination on the sun dried fish. Three net locations were evaluated i.e. shore, mid-point and upland at Katosi LS. Wet and dry samples were collected on randomly selected nets at the three different net locations. Dry samples were collected after 8 hours on the same nets from which the wet samples were initially collected at the three different nets locations. The samples were analyzed for fecal contamination by examining for Escherichia coli and Enterococci fecal indicators. The findings showed that generally the location of nets laid on grass had a less significant effect on the level of fecal contamination. However this was greatly influenced by the kind of fecal indicator species examined because the level of fecal contamination with Enterococci on sundried Silver cyprinid significantly varied at the three different locations. This showed a contradiction from the findings found in examining the dry samples for E.coli because the results indicated the level of contamination was significantly the same at the three net locations. Previous studies indicate that Enterococci is not purely found in human and animal fecal matter but can also be found on plants and in soil with evidences that Enterococci cells are capable of replicating in extra-enteric environments such as beach sands. Further studies to eliminate the possibility of human fecal contamination from the other environmental sources of the organisms which was not determined in this study is thus required.
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    Attitude of secondary school administrators towards the introduction of physical education in secondary school a case study of selected schools in Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso
    (Makerere University, 2019) Kiyaga, Emmanuel
    This study was conducted to examine the attitude of secondary school administrators towards the introduction of physical education in the secondary school curriculum in selected secondary schools of Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso district. The study employed qualitative methods, and 10 members from the district education administration and the rest (40) constituted of head teachers, deputies and teacher or administrator or person in charge of co-curricular activities and sports from around three districts including Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso. The study employed simple random sampling technique of sampling. Interview guides were used during the data collection methods. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis, sequenced into codes and classified into themes to denote attitudes or belief systems. From the study findings, majority (96%) of the study participants asserted that there is a high level of dependence of the content of physical education on the technical knowledge of the teacher, physical education inclusion in secondary schools and making it compulsory, has positive implications and it is important. More so, the study participants asserted that it is worth for the Ministry of Education and Sports to make physical education a compulsory subject to be taught at secondary level of education because of it’s importance to both the students and their teachers or administrators. Sing on the study findings, the study concluded that there exists positive perceptions of teachers and/or administrators of physical education towards the introduction of physical education in secondary schools and also there exists a positive high level of values and beliefs towards the physical education subunit that is to be introduced in school units. Therefore, the researcher recommended the following; due to the varsity number of importance of teaching of physical education in secondary schools has, the researcher recommended that it should be implemented in schools where currently is not taught and also made compulsory. More so, the researcher recommended that the government should facilitate the introduction of facilities and curriculum for the subject at secondary level of education through the Ministry of Education and Sports.
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    An assessment of competence and challenges of fitness instructors in Kampala District
    (Makerere University, 2019) Sserwadda, Cedric
    This research was intended to find out the level of competence qualifications and challenges faced by fitness professionals in Kampala district and this was to be achieved through designing and distribution of a questionnaire to fitness professionals that asked about their gender, age ,level of education, certifications both local and international, benefits they attained from these certifications, core disciplines of a fitness course they have attended, the challenge they face in doing their work and suggestions to those challenges. Most of the participants in the study where males (90.1%) and only 2(9.1%) were female in addition to this most of the participants were learned above the level of a certificate (90%). 3(13.6%) individuals where internationally certified while all of the participants had each at least attended a local fitness training. Some of the benefits the participants say they obtained from these trainings and workshops include added professional experience, more confidence in doing their work, certification that comes with the trainings among others. The response to the attendance of a core course in fitness was more biased to the end of strength and conditioning (77.3%), fitness programming (81.8%) and less biased towards biomechanics of sport and exercise (36.4%). Some of the challenges faced by these professionals included poor working conditions, lack of certification centres, lack of hands on training for sports science and fitness graduates that leads to less connection between the work world and theory among others. Some of the suggested solutions to the challenge where government intervention in the fitness industry through setting up of policies and procedures that certify instructors as well as adding more funding into the industry that will enable grow towards more lofty standards than it is on now, creating a minimum wage policy within the industry and also improving the facility standards or working conditions of the instructors in gyms and other work places. The researcher recommends further research to be done on a grand scale into the competence, qualifications and challenges of fitness instructors in Kampala district and Uganda as a whole to obtain a bigger picture of what is really going on in this industry.
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    Risk factors and level of awareness of typhoid fever (salmonellosis) in slums of Nakawa Division
    (Makerere University, 2019) Bakulumpagi, Joshua ; Nanteza, Mildred Thatcher, ; Busulwa, Julius ; Semmanda Zziwa, Charles ; Nasasira, Praise
    This study was conducted to find out the risk factors, the level of awareness of the people about typhoid fever and the role of health workers and community leaders in preventing the disease in the selected slums (Banda, Kinawataka and Luzira Mambo Bado) of Nakawa Division. A total of 233 respondents were selected from all the slums of which 228 were community members, 3 were chairpersons one from each slum and 2 were health workers. The community members were selected by simple random sampling and community leaders and health workers were purposively sampled. To obtain data, questionnaires for community members, interview guides for community leaders and health workers and personal observations around the area were used. Findings from the study indicated that the level of awareness about the disease is generally high for all the slums with 97.7% in Banda, 94.9% in Kinawataka and 98.4% in Luzira Mambo Bado. The risk factors of typhoid fever in the area include domestic usage of unsafe water from unsafe sources, drinking un-boiled water, use of flying toilets, improper washing of hands, fruits and vegetables and eating contaminated food from both home and local restaurants. On the issue of role of health education, chairpersons in the three slums have done some sensitization activities for their people about the disease which include; Use of posters, general cleaning of the community and have given people advice about reducing spread of the disease, which include; law enforcement, encouraging people to ensure good sanitation and personal hygiene in their respective homes and places of work among others. The health workers have never organized any sensitization activities in the area but rather have held individual health talks and have also advised people to properly dispose their fecal wastes and rubbish, ensure proper food hygiene and get access to safe and clean water. Although the level of awareness of typhoid fever in the area is high, the prevalence and manifestation of the disease is also still high. Therefore, this study recommends health workers and community leaders to organize more sensitization practices aimed at mitigating the spread of the disease.
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    Potential of azolla compost on the growth and yield of spinach (Spinacia Oleracea)
    (Makerere University, 2019) Biso, Godfrey
    Apart from its role in sustainable agriculture, the use of biofertilizer and green manures is ecofriendly and economically feasible scientific method. The present study was conducted to access the potential for Azolla-anabaena symbiotic association in enhancing growth and yield performance of Spinacia oleracea. Triplicates of potted plants were grown in four Azolla treatments; 50g Azolla treatment, 100g Azolla treatment, 150g Azolla treatment, 200g Azolla treatment alongside a negative control respectively. The study was done in the Botanical Gardens of Makerere University, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology. The plants were monitored and their height, leaf number of visible leaves and fresh weight determined at the time of experimental termination. Height and fresh mass results were subjected to one-way ANOVA while number of leaves were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis test to determine the effect of applying Azolla on the growth performance and yield of spinach plants at P<0.05. Significant differences were observed both in growth performance and yield of spinach plants. It was noted that 200g and 150g Azolla treatments were very effective in enhancing the growth and yield of spinach and thus could effectively be used as an eco-friendly, accessible and cheap fertilizer input in the management of soil health. Field experiments are thus recommended to evaluate its feasibility and farmers are encouraged to adopt the use of Azolla fern because of its potential economic benefits.
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    In-vitro determination of antibacterial activity of Cannabis Sativa against staphylococcus aureusIn-vitro determination of antibacterial activity of Cannabis Sativa against staphylococcus aureus
    (Makerere University, 2019) Ssemuyiga, Charles
    Medicinal plants are important for animal and human health care and widely used for the treatment of different infectious diseases caused by bacteria with a large impact on public health. This study was aimed to determine the in vitro antibacterial activity of cannabis sativa. This study was conducted to determine the antibacterial activity of cannabis sativa aqueous and ethanol extracts and to determine synergism between cannabis sativa and erythromycin, a commercial antibiotic. The antibacterial activity was determined by agar well diffusion method, organic extract had pronounced activity (22.3mm), positive control had a largest diameter (26.6mm), aqueous extract (18.3mm), organic + erythromycin (23.6mm), aqueous + erythromycin (20.2mm) and 50% ethanol (solvent) did not show any activity. The MIC was determined by two fold dilutions of both extracts using broth microdilution method. The MIC of organic extract was compared to that of aqueous extract. Further research should be done to identify the exact active compounds that can be employed to control wide range of diseases.
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    The efficiency of eggshell-based organic fertilizer on the growth of tomatoes
    (Makerere University, 2019) Bahinda, William
    In Uganda, there is limited research and adoption of bio-fertilizers and there is heavy use of chemical fertilizers that their continual application disturbs the natural biotic environment and affects the soil structure Eggshells act as a source of available calcium that can be made from commonly used household items. When applied as a foliar spray, this bio-fertilizer provides available calcium to plants for normal cell processes, root growth, and fruiting Given the potential of eggshells as a bio-fertilizer, there is limited research on the use of eggshell based fertilizer on the growth of tomatoes. Therefore this study aimed at testing the efficiency of the eggshell based bio-fertilizer on the growth of tomatoes. In study hydroponics method was used to grow tomatoes and then the bio-fertilizer was used to supplement their growth for a period of one month. The results showed that there were significant difference between the effect of eggshell fertilizer and that of the negative control where calcium was absent; therefore we reject the null hypothesis. The results conclude that the application of eggshell based fertilizer might be efficiently utilized in obtaining faster growth of tomatoes and other plants The eggshells could offer an economical and simple application for tomato and any other plant like other plants grown under suitable conditions
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    Gender differences in students’ attitude towards biology subject in secondary schools in Mukono Municipality Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2019) Ssendikwanawa, Mike ; Nassazi, Joan ; Nanyonga, Lilian ; Sekiwunga, Ronald ; Mayambala, Denis
    The study analyzed the gender differences in students’ attitude towards biology subject in secondary schools in Mukono Municipality. The study analyzed the gender differences in students’ attitude towards biology subject in secondary schools in Mukono Municipality. Two main objectives were the main focus of our investigation and these include to; i) examine the gender difference in career preferences of students in biology subject and ii) determine the gender differences in enjoyment of students during biology lessons. The study was guide by the Self-perception theory with the view that differences arise due to attitudes within males and female students. A sample size of 297 students was used under descriptive cross-section survey and determined by Krejcie and Morgan tabulation. The information was collected using a questionnaire and the findings were analyzed using SPSS software by running the t-test for the independent samples. The findings reveal high differences for females in career preferences as compared to male students. On the second objective, males expressed higher difference of enjoying biology lessons as compared to female students. The study concludes that the differences are due to home and school environments; and above all, the nature of students as a person. It recommends the need to increase biology facilities in schools in order to bridge the difference.
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    Effect of light and water gradients on the growth and distribution of Commelina Benghalensis and Commelina Africana on Makerere campus
    (Makerere University, 2019) Kato, Martins
    The present study was conducted to assess the effect of light and water gradients on the growth and distribution of Commelina behghalesis and Commelina africana. This was specifically conducted in periods of high water content (January) and periods of low water content (March) Five replicates of one by one meters quadrants for each condition were set, i.e. low water content – full illumination (LF), Low water content – partial illumination (LP), High water content – full illumination (HF) and High water content – partial illumination (HP). The study was conducted in the vegetation cover behind the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology in Makerere University. The Commelina spp were monitored and their length of stem, number of visible leaves, number of shoots and length of the internode were measured, counted and recorded. Length of stem, number of visible leaves (transformed), length of the internode and number of shoots results were subjected to three-way ANOVA to determine the effect of light and water gradients at P=0.05. Significant effect of water content were observed on Commelina benghalesis (ANOVA, P<2.081e-15) the effect of light on Commelina africana also showed a significant difference (ANOVA, P<1.625e-3). Control methods of these two obnoxious weeds; C. benghalesis and C. africana on Makerere University should be designed