A study was carried out to evaluate the secondary sexual characteristics of four strains of cocks, comprising of two (2) exotics; Bovan Nera Black (BNB) and Isa Brown (ISB), one (1) improved local strain, Shika Brown (SB) and one (1) unimproved local strain, normal feathered cock (NFC). A total of 64 birds (16 for each strain) at 36, 38, 40 and 42 weeks were used for the study. The result indic...

The effects of land management including sugarcane, horticultural crops (citrus, avocado and banana), forestry (gum, wattle and pine), kikuyu pasture, native forest and native grassland on the size and composition of the earthworm community on sugarcane estates in northern KwaZulu-Natal was investigated. Earthworm numbers followed the order: burnt sugarcane < trashed sugarcane = grassveld = gum...

Tannins are plant-derived polyphenols with antimicrobial effects. The mechanism of tannin toxicity towards Escherichia coli was determined by using an extract from Acacia mearnsii (Black wattle) as a source of condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins). E. coli growth was inhibited by tannins only when tannins were exposed to oxygen. Tannins auto-oxidize, and substantial hydrogen peroxide was genera...

Some invasive tree species threaten biodiversity and cause irreversible damage to global ecosystems. The key controlling monitoring the propagation of is detect their occurrence as early possible. In this regard, one-class classification (OCC) shows potential in forest areas with abundant richness since it only requires a few positive samples be mapped, instead all species. However, classical O...

The relative affinities ufeondensed tannins purilied from sorghum, pinto bean, quebracho and wattle for six dissimilar protins have been determined by a competitive binding assay. The results indicate that tannin/protein interactions may be specific for different tanains as well as for different proteins. The highly specific interactions suggest that the differences in affinity are functionally...