Mervis Kamanga

Knowledge of insects’ damage to Agroforestry species is prerequisite prior to promotion of domestication of the species. The study was conducted to assess foliage insect pests in 21 Sclerocarya birrea provenances. Assessment parameters included tolerance levels, tree canopy position of attack, mode of leaf defoliation and type of insect pests responsible for the damage. The results revealed that highly tolerant provenances to leaf defoliation included Kalanga, Magunde, Moamba, and Marracuene. Highly susceptible provenances comprised of Chikwawa, Rumphi, Ntcheu, Missira and Mangochi. Highly significant (P < 0.001) variations existed in tree damage basing on crown position. The top canopy was the most affected followed by the middle and bottom canopies. Leaf damage was found to be significantly (X2 = 4.989, P = 0.026) associated with fruit production, and leaf damaged trees were found to produce three times (Odds Ratio = 3.2) less fruits compared to undamaged tree leaves. The most dominate form of leaf damage was defoliation (43%), followed by skeletonizing (18%). The least leaf damage trees were 37%. Leaf defoliators comprised of two orders namely Coleoptera (beetle) and Lepidoptera (caterpillar). Ceratitis (Pterandrus) capitata (fruit flies) were the most destructive to mature fruits. Although not the primary objective of the study, Ceratitis (Pterandrus) capitata (fruit flies) was identified as the major pest of Marula fruits. Future provenance or progeny trials should be replicated across different ecological areas in order to assess genotype-by-environment interaction effects resulting from differences in leaf flushing period.

Adopting Systemic Functional Linguistics, the study investigated factors that influence idiom interpretation and acquisition in children. Semantic analysability, idiom structure and idiom modification were investigated in 20 native Chichewa speaking children aged between 4 – 14 years. Three experiments were conducted to examine these factors. The data for the study were analysed qualitatively by comparing responses that children gave to identify patterns, differences and similarities. Response types given by children were identified and coded. The data were then quantitatively analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed that children’s interpretation and acquisition of idioms is not dependent on the analysability and internal structure of the idioms, although these may affect interpretation and acquisition. The idiom can be analysable or can have a well-formed structure but children can still fail to interpret  it if they lack knowledge of the s...