Use of indigenous technology for the production of high quality cassava flour with similar food qualities as wheat flour.

Background: The aim of the paper was to compare the food qualities of 2 varieties (SME 1 and 2) of high quality cassava flour (HQCF) produced from indigenous technology and that of some commercially sold wheat/HQCF samples.

Material And Methods: The pH, proximate, phytochemical, antioxidant, functional properties and starch yield of the flours were carried out using standard techniques.

Results: The wheat flours had higher bulk densities and lipids than the HQCF samples while the oil absorption capacity of the HQCF (SME 2) was higher than other fl our samples investigated.

First Report of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Leaf Blight Caused by Phytophthora colocasiae in Nigeria.

In November 2009, many farmers in Abia State were alarmed by complete destruction of their taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.) crop.

Status of Cassava Begomoviruses and Their New Natural Hosts in Nigeria.

A diagnostic survey was conducted in 2002-03 to determine the status of cassava mosaic begomoviruses in Nigeria and to ascertain if the virulent Ugandan variant of East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV-Ug2) was present. Of the 418 farms visited, 48% had cassava with moderately severe or severe symptoms, whereas 52% had cassava with mild symptoms. These distributions were at random.