College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

BACKGROUNDDeterminants of culinary qualities of East African highland cooking bananas (EAHCB) are not well known. This constrains the inclusion of user‐preferred traits in breeding. The present study aimed to quantify key indicators of user‐preferred characteristics to enable selection of acceptable hybrids.RESULTSQualitative characteristics that drive preference were big bunches (15–34 kg), long straight/slightly curved fingers (12–23 cm), yellowness and soft texture. Descriptive sensory analysis of the intensity of colour and texture the 23 genotypes revealed that landraces Kibuzi, Mbwazirume, Nakitembe and Mpologoma had higher intensity of yellowness and lower intensity of hardness (softer) and a low score (≤ 1.0) of astringency taste. A preference test showed that they had higher acceptability scores. Biochemical, instrumental and sensory data revealed correlations between sensory firmness and instrumental hardness (r = 0.5), sensory firmness and amylopectin (r = −0.54), suggest...

The extent of diversity in the indigenous chicken breeds of Uganda was assessed for their potential utilisation in breeding programmes. A total of 293 indigenous-chicken-keeping households in villages across 35 districts forming 12 sub-regions
of the four regions were randomly sampled for 586 mature chickens of both sexes. While only 20.8% of households were headed by women, 40.6% of indigenous chicken keepers were women. The production objectives mainly focused on
chickens as sources of income from sales and household food. The chickens were predominantly managed in a scavenging (94.2%) feeding system in a mainly (96.9%) mixed crop-livestock system. The average flock size was 19.80 ± 1.21 chickens with 3.83 ± 0.29 laying hens, each producing an average of 13.41 ± 0.20 eggs/clutch and 40.3 ± 0.6 eggs/annum of 5.20 ± 0.03-month egg production age. Normal-feather strains predominated (>90%), with scattered incidences of the naked neck, frizzles, polydactyl, and ptilopody traits in both sexes. Dark (49.0% hen; 43.8% cock) and white (38.3% hen; 42.4% cock) skin colours were most common among the chickens compared to yellow skin. However, yellow-coloured shanks were proportionally the most observed (41% cock; 29% hen). Orange and brown iris (eye) colours were the most common in both sexes. The
hens commonly had small round earlobes with varying colours, while cocks had large oval-shaped, mainly red (70%) earlobes. The single-comb type was dominant in both sexes, with wattles almost universally present. Frizzle and polydactyl allele
frequencies were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the expected Mendelian proportions, indicating a possible state of endangerment. Meanwhile, the estimated allele frequencies of ptilopody, tufted-crest, and rose comb alleles in the population were similar (p > 0.05) to the expected Mendelian frequencies. However, these strains did not show any significant (p > 0.05) influence on the body weight or the linear morphometric estimates except for being marginally higher than the normal strains. The phenotypic correlations of body weight and morphometric traits ranged from 0.457 to 0.668 and 0.292 to 0.454 in cocks and
hens, respectively. These findings provide hints about the prospects for improved performance with modifications in the production environment. The wide phenotypic diversity would support management efforts for their sustainable
utilisation and preservation.

Understanding and predicting other people&#x27;s mental states and behavior are important prerequisites for social interactions. The capacity to attribute mental states such as desires, thoughts or intentions to oneself or others is referred to as mentalizing. The right posterior temporal cortex at the temporal-parietal junction has been associated with mentalizing but also with taking someone else&#x27;s spatial perspective onto the world--possibly an important prerequisite for mentalizing. Here, we directly compared the neural correlates of mentalizing and perspective taking using the same stimulus material. We found significantly increased neural activity in the right posterior segment of the superior temporal sulcus only during mentalizing but not perspective taking. Our data further clarify the role of the posterior temporal cortex in social cognition by showing that it is involved in processing information from socially salient visual cues in situations that require the infere...

v ABSTRACT The study sought to perform a cost-benefit analysis of digital banking for commercial banks in Uganda, taking Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited as a case study. The study was conducted with three objectives including; to establish the costs and risks of digital banking for banks in Uganda, to establish the benefits of digital banking for banks in Uganda and to provide plausible recommendations towards improving the efficiency of digital for banks in Uganda. To achieve the above stated objectives, the study collected data through primary and secondary sources. This was a cross sectional qualitative study where questionnaires were issued to collect data from thirty (30) respondents who are employees of Stanbic Bank Uganda limited, selected through purposive and convenience sampling. These were bank employees from Products team, Digital Channels team, Reconciliations team, Finance department, and Retail branches, as these are closer to the digital strategy of the bank by virtue of their daily jobs. This helped to add reliability to the data retrieved from the study. The results from the study established that banks are incurring high capital and operational expenditure to establish and sustain digital banking channels. The study also established that the advent of digital banking has created increased operational risks such as cyber fraud, for the banks. The study also established that despite the increasing risks and costs of pursuing the digital strategy, banks are reaping benefits in form of operational efficiency for transaction processing, costs savings, better customer experience among other added value features, although the banks had not fully maximised the anticipated benefits of digital banking. Accordingly, the came up with plausible measures to improve the efficiency of digital banking for banks in Uganda including, focusing on customer needs as digital products are developed, driving high adoption and utilisation of digital channels to achieve economies of scope, adopting a universal banking strategy where internal silos are broken while solutioning for the customer and enhanced IT Security for sustainable digital banking.

ABSTRACT This special project was compiled after conducting research in Masindi Municipality on the causes of post-harvest losses and their effects on the profitability of agribusiness enterprises. The main objective was to assess the extent of post-harvest losses of maize and their impact on the profitability of agribusiness enterprises in Masindi Municipality.
The information attained in this report was collected mainly using direct interviews and questionnaires, mainly primary data was used.
A total of 50 maize farmers and 30 maize traders were interviewed using questionnaires. The specific objectives were to identify the different causes of pot-harvest losses in maize, to establish the extent of the post-harvest losses in maize and to analyze the effects of post-harvest losses in maize on the profitability of agribusiness enterprises.
Results showed that the main causes of post-harvest losses among the maize farmers and traders were the mode used to transport maize, the type of storage facility, insects, rodents and molding. The gross margin analysis indicated that maize business is profitable with an average gross margin of Uganda shillings 8,297,837.5 per maize trader though still low.
The study recommends that the relevant authorities avail information on maize quality standards to the farmers and traders to increase their awareness, farmers to adopt the use of tarpaulins during maize harvesting, shelling and drying, the concerned stake-holders like Government to help farmers and traders improve the type of their storage facilities and also adopt the use of hermetic storage

This project was compiled after conducting experiments on the effect of de-leafing on tomato yield at Ozer Efraim Farm ,  Beit Ezra Moshav  Israel . The main objective was to assess the effects of de-leafing on tomato yield
Fifteen plants were used for the experiments that is five plants for treatment one (leaves cut up to cluster one), five plants for treatment two (leaves cut up to cluster two) and five plants for the control (no leaf cut). The specific objectives were: To examine the effect of de-leafing on the size of the tomato fruit, to evaluate the effect of de-leafing on the weight of the tomato fruit and to assess effect of de-leafing on ripening of tomatoes
Results showed that de-leafing had no significant effect on the size and weight of the tomato fruits but had a significant effect on the rate of ripening of tomatoes with tomato plants de-leafed up to cluster two reaching the maximum ripening index (6) before all other tomatoes experimented. This was due to the improvement in the uniformity in the circulation of the warm air providing the heat required for fastening up the ripening process.
The study recommends that de-leafing be done at the correct timing with regards to the goals of the farmer. It also recommends that over stripping off of leaves from tomato plants be avoided as this may have a negative impact on the plant.

Land tenure framework
Rural Electrification programme.
Universal Free Education (UPE & USE).
Primary Health Care (PHC).
Agro-Industrialization, Community. Agriculture Infrastructure Improvement Programme (CAIIP).
Markets and Agriculture Trade Improvement Project (MATIP).
The Parish Development Model (PDM)

Before colonialism; Kingdoms and chiefdoms were the main administrative bodies.
Given that Uganda was a British colony, the English legal system and law are predominant.
Uganda's legal system is based on English Common Law and African customary law.
However, customary law is in effect only when it does not conflict with statutory law.  
The laws applicable in Uganda are statutory law, common law; doctrines of equity and customary law are applicable in Uganda.