Browsing by Author "Magingo, Francis S."

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Cultivation of Oudemansiella Tanzanica nom. prov. on Agricultural Solid Wastes in Tanzania
    (2004-04) Magingo, Francis S.; Oriyo, Ndekya M.; Kivaisi, Amelia K.
    The edible mushroom Oudemansiella tanzanica nom. prov., which is new to science, has been studied as a potential crop to reduce agricultural solid wastes and increase domestic mushroom production. The substrates sawdust, sisal waste and paddy straw supplemented with chicken manure resulted in the highest biological efficiencies of any mushroom cultivated in Tanzania so far. In addition, the mushroom has one of the shortest cultivation cycles at 24 d. Despite the fact that the mushroom extracts substantial amounts of nutrients, the spent substrate can be used as fodder, as a soil conditioner and fertilizer and in bioremediation.
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    Identification of Mushroom Mycelia using DNA Techniques
    (2002) Muruke, M.H.S; Kivaisi, A.K; Magingo, Francis S.; Danell, E.
    The suitability of using DNA techniques in the determination of relatedness of mushroom fruiting bodies to isolated mycelia was examined. Nine isolates of edible mushroom mycelia of general Oudemansiella, Coprinus and Pleurotus were identified using fruiting bodies as references. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in conbination with Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RLFP) analyses were carried out on fruiting bodies and mycelia of the isolates. The internally transcribed spacer region (ITS) and ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) was amplified using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. The RLFP analysis was carried out on the regions amplified by PCR from fruiting bodies and the mycelia was established by looking at DNA fragment band sizes and patterns. Banding patterns and fragment sizes of DNA obtained from mycelia and their corresponding fruiting bodies were identical and characteristic for the species. Using this technique, it was possible to sort out a case of mistaken identity of Oudemansiella fruiting bodies, which were interchanged with another mushroom specimen during packing. The method is fast, accurate, and could be used for routine screening of edible mushrooms of Tanzania for taxonomical purposes. For the latter purpose, it is required that the RFLP database of taxonomically known species is in place.
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    Nitrogen Fixation by Methanobacterium Formicicum
    (1991-02) Magingo, Francis S.; Stumm, Claudius K.
    Methanobacterium formicicum utilized molecular nitrogen as the sole nitrogen source for growth as monitored by methane production and culture turbidity measurements. The rate of methane production by the bacteria was correlated to nitrogen gas concentrations. In the absence of nitrogen gas or any other nitrogen source, the bacteria completely stopped growing. The presence of selenium and molybdenum in the culture medium was vital for the growth of the bacteria under nitrogen fixing conditions.
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    Performance of Pleurotus flabellatus on water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) shoots at two different temperature and relative humidity regimes
    (2004-01) Kivaisi, A.K; Magingo, Francis S.; Mamiro, B
    Efforts are being made in Tanzania to promote mushroom cultivation, and identification of abundantly available plant biomass residues appropriate for growing mushrooms is part of the efforts. This study investigated the suitability of water hyacinth as a bulk substrate for growing a newly domesticated local oyster mushroom, Pleurotus flabellatus. The performance of the mushroom was investigated under ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH) regimes of 18-25/27-29 oC and 55-85/78-93%, respectively. The growth cycle of the mushroom was completed in 40 days with three and four flushes respectively. At the higher temperature and RH regime, the mushroom grew faster and the first flush was harvested at the 13th day after substrate inoculation with a Biological Efficiency (B.E.) of 84%, whereas the first harvest was done on the 19th day after inoculation at the lower temperature and RH regime with a B.E. of 53%. Substrate total fibre loss at the end of the growth cycle was in the range of 31-40%, and cellulose the most utilized fraction, decreased by 35-48%. The rates of fibre loss increased over time during the mushroom growth and were highest during the first and second flush during which about 80% of the total mushroom yield were obtained. Water hyacinth shoots proved to be a good substrate for growing the local oyster mushroom at ambient environmental conditions.
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    Propagation of two Miombo Woodland Trees by Leafy Stem Cuttings Obtained from Seedlings
    (2001-02) Magingo, Francis S.; Dick, J.
    The rooting ability of leafy stem cuttings harvested from four to five month old seedlings of B. spiciformis Benth and P. angolensis DC was tested in low-technology non-mist propagators suitable for the rural tropics. Both species were successfully rooted; P. angolensis was a faster rooting species (86% after 61 days) compared with B. spiciformis (59% after 154 days). Regression analysis suggested that P. angolensis had more stored carbohydrates, which facilitated its rooting while B. spiciformis was more dependant on current assimilates produced during the period of propagation. The results of this study suggest that it is possible to develop clones of genetically superior trees of B. spiciformis and P. angolensis for use in agroforestry or reforestation programmes.
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    Rooting Ability of Leucaena Leucocephala Stem Cuttings
    (1998-08) Dick, J.; Magingo, Francis S.; Smith, R. I.; McBeath, C.
    Single-node leafy and leafless cuttings harvested from one-year-old, 1.3 to 1.5 m tall Leucaena leucocephala seedlings were successfully rooted in a non-mist propagator which is suitable for use in the rural tropics. Cuttings with a leaf attached rooted more successfully than those without a leaf (71% and 39% respectively) and clones differed significantly (43% to 71%). There was also a clear pattern in rooting ability of cuttings collected sequentially down the main stem. Cuttings rooted most successfully when taken from node five to 13, counting from the apex; this was the region where internodes were longest (64 to 109 mm) of moderate diameter (2.9 to 5.5 mm) and all cuttings had a leaf attached.
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    Stephanostema Stenocarpum (Apocynaceae) Extract is a Potential Remedy for Bacterial Infections in Domestic Animals
    (2010-12) Lyantagaye, Sylvester L.; Magingo, Francis S.
    Stephanostema is a monotypic genus whose sole specie Stephanostema stenocarpum is endemic to Tanzania. The liquid from boiled roots of this plant is being used by the local communities as a remedy of stomach-ache related ailments. The aim of the study was to evaluate antimicrobial activity of S. stenocarpum extracts against some common bacterial and fungal pathogens in domesticated animals and examine whether the crude extracts found active have cytotoxic effect or not. The standard growth inhibition technique was used for in vitro antimicrobial activity assay and the brine shrimp (BST) test was used to evaluate cytotoxicity of the extracts. Ethanolic extracts exhibited bacterial inhibitory growth activity against animal bacteria pathogens: Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella gallinarum and Escherichia coli, but not active against the fungal strains tested. The study also showed that the extracts have no cytotoxicity effects. These results provide baseline information on the medicinal potential of S. stenocarpum as a new potential source of veterinary medicines.