Uniosun Journal of Agriculture and Renewable Resources

Combustion and Physico-Mechanical Properties of Briquettes Produced from Cassava and Potato Peels Using Starch Binder

2026-08-19T09:27:23+00:00

This study focused on examining the burning efficiency of the briquettes produced from the use of agricultural biomass residues: cassava and potato peels, as an alternative to wood briquettes. Biomass collected was sun-dried and mixed at different ratios, following this order: cassava to potatoes to starch and the samples were A (70:30:10), B (50:50:10), C (30:70:10), D (70:30:20), E(50:50:20) and F(30:70:20);briquettes was produced using 75.66mm molds and compressed by a 5-ton hydraulic jack at a pressure of 2.4 MPa. Both the combustion and physico-mechanical properties of the briquettes were determined. The burning rate of the briquettes produced ranged between 4.93 g/min -7.87 g/min. Results from the study showed that briquette A (70:30:10) and B (50:50:10) had high burning rate of 7.87g/min and 7.29 g/min respectively while Briquette C(30:70:10) and F(30:70:20) had low burning rates (5.03 g/min and 4.93 g/min respectively) which may be attributed to differences in density. Briquette F (30:70:20) had the highest ignition time (120secs) and water boiling time (21.47 mins) but the lowest burning rate. Samples E (50:50:20) and F (30:70:20) had higher heating values (29236.17 kJ/kg and 29451.63 kJ/kg) than others. The fixed carbon composition of the produced briquettes ranged from 10.01% to 28.00%. The porosity of the produced briquette varied from 29.83% to 56.55%. The volatile matter for these briquettes ranged from 56.67% to 75.33%, with briquette C having the highest value. The highest value of ash content was found in the feedstock ratio 70:30:10 and the lowest in the feedstock ratio 30:70:20, with the least tendency to slagging. Results obtained from the physico-mechanical and combustion properties of briquettes produced from the agricultural residues used in this study show that these briquettes exhibit potential as they meet the required standards and can be maximized as sources of solid biofuels for both domestic and commercial applications.

Hidden Costs of Deforestation: Linking Forest Loss to Public Health and Environmental Degradation, with evidence from Nigeria and Global Tropics

2026-08-19T09:57:34+00:00

The removal of forests is one of the important changes in land use nowadays; the consequences of this action are seldom reflected in the value of the products harvested. The literature on the ecological and medical impacts of deforestation tends to be taken up as distinct topics, with the evidence from Global seen in a comparison with the top primary forest-losing countries, Nigeria being underrepresented. This review fills that void by following the causal pathway from the immediate and root causes of deforestation to the environmental damage that occurs as a result of deforestation to the public health impacts that are experienced by rural and forest-edge populations. It brings together peer-reviewed literature, institutional data and grey literature primarily from 2015 to 2026 and arranges them thematically. Forest loss takes place as a combined result of agricultural expansion, logging, infrastructure development, mining and underlying socio-economic pressures, such as poverty, weak land tenure and population growth, that all contribute to the fragmentation of forests, which in turn leads to biodiversity loss, disturbed carbon and water cycles, and soil erosion. These changes increase the risk of zoonotic spillover, aggravate respiratory disease due to fire-induced air pollution, reduce water quality, reduce dietary diversity and have a negative impact on people's mental health who are displaced and dependent on forests. These pathways are recurrent in very different settings, as evidenced in the Amazon Basin, Southeast Asia, Central Africa, and Nigeria. Forest governance reform, secure land tenure, a One Health approach to surveillance, deforestation-free supply chains and well-resourced restoration are all intertwined pieces of one solution; addressing deforestation as an economic or ecological issue only will continue to underestimate the true price.

Tillage Effects on Growth and Pod Yield of Bambara (Vigna Subterranea (l.) Verdc.) in Badeggi, Southern Guinea Groundnut Savannah Zone, Nigeria

2026-08-19T10:41:14+00:00

This study evaluated the tillage effect on growth and pod yield of Bambara groundnut at Badegi, Southern Guinea Savannah zone of Nigeria. Four seedbed types: Zero tillage, flat tilled, ridges and mounds were used to cultivate bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.). The crop was sown for two seasons in June, 2024 and 2025. The plant population was 166,666 plants/ha on unit plots measuring 9.0 m². The treatments were laid out in randomized complete block (RCB) design in four replications. The tillage effects on growth parameters such as plant height, leaves/plant, root depth and nodule/plant and yield indices were evaluated while pods/plant, seeds/pod, seed diameter, 100 seed weight and seed yield per hectare were also estimated. Results obtained showed that mounds exhibited vigorous growth and were significantly (P≤0.05) taller (25.5 cm) with prolific nodulation capacity (13.8), high seed weight (88.3 g) per plant and produced correspondingly highest seed yield (1361 kg/ha). Sowing bambara groundnut on mounds is beneficial and is advocated as a strategy of boosting bambara groundnut crop in Badeggi, Niger State, Nigeria. It could be concluded that sowing of the Bambara groundnut on mounds promoted the growth of the crop and enhanced more pod development compared to other tillage operations.

Recent Advances in Water Quality Assessment of Tropical Peri-Urban Rivers: Emerging Monitoring Technologies and Lessons from the Osun River Basin, Nigeria

2026-08-19T11:00:59+00:00

This study examined the influence of Workdays Lost to Presumptive Malaria (WLPM) on the Tropical peri-urban rivers are increasingly threatened by rapid urbanization, agricultural intensification, industrialization, climate change, and inadequate wastewater management, necessitating comprehensive water quality assessment frameworks. This review synthesizes advances in water quality assessment technologies and monitoring approaches using the Osun River Basin, southwestern Nigeria, as a case study. A PRISMA-informed literature review was conducted using inclusion and exclusion criteria to evaluate peer-reviewed articles and policy documents. The selected studies were synthesized into thematic areas comprising conventional physicochemical, microbiological, and heavy metal assessments, water quality indices, geospatial technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring, predictive modelling, emerging contaminant surveillance, and integrated river basin management. The review shows that conventional monitoring remains indispensable for regulatory compliance and baseline environmental assessment but is constrained by limited spatial and temporal coverage. Integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, AI, IoT sensor networks, predictive models, pollution indices, and human health risk assessment substantially improves pollution source identification, real-time monitoring, environmental forecasting, and watershed-scale decision-making. However, significant challenges remain, including inadequate monitoring infrastructure, fragmented datasets, limited observations, insufficient validation of AI models under tropical conditions, and inadequate monitoring of emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, microplastics, antimicrobial resistance determinants, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Overall, the evidence indicates that multidisciplinary monitoring frameworks integrating conventional and advanced technologies provide the robust approach for sustainable watershed management. The review proposes an integrated assessment framework to strengthen climate-resilient water resources management, evidence-based environmental governance, and long-term protection of tropical peri-urban river ecosystems in rapidly developing regions.